


My Brilliant Wife

by Kufikiria



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: (Near) Future, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scenes, Mutual Pining, One Shot Collection, Pre-Relationship, Romance, all sorts of things, and the previous ones, canon divergences, season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 02:55:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 38,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17500235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kufikiria/pseuds/Kufikiria
Summary: New year, new season, new collection! Peraltiago fanfics: canon compliant, canon divergences, stories set in their (near) future, missing scenes from current and past seasons, prompts sent on Tumblr, a lot of fluff, a bit of angst… anything that’s too short to be posted on its own.





	1. Thank You for Taking a Chance on Me (I Hope to Be Worth It)

**Author's Note:**

> My other OS collection [The Right Person](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14118801/chapters/32533302) was starting to get pretty big so I decided to start a new one since my Peraltiago inspiration seems to be still there and still strong haha.
> 
> I know I already posted like 3 other OS since the beginning of this year but my very first and very last fics from the other collection have titles that come from the same song so I thought it was a nice way to close it.
> 
> This first story has been waiting in my unfinished projects since this summer and idk how I finally managed to complete it, especially when I’m right in the middle of a writer’s block but… here it is, apparently!
> 
> Inspired by [this part](https://xbrooklyn99x.tumblr.com/post/154747267016/more-extra-dialogue-from-new-captain) of the New Captain script that never made it to the screen implying they came to work together and a prompt @storyinmyeyes sent to me on Tumblr (as well as someone else here a few months ago who asked for something post-first date).

“So… what do we do now?”

Jake’s voice makes Amy turn away from the window and back at him when he pulls over in an empty street near their precinct. She catches his hands nervously tapping on the steering wheel as he watches her.

“I can walk from here. You wait until I’m inside to come in next – I’ll text you. Otherwise it’ll look too suspicious if you’re at work before I am,” she says matter-of-factly.

She’s had the whole ride from his apartment to the Nine-Nine (with a stop at hers so that she could change from her dress) to think about a plan to avoid being caught after the night they spent together.

“Smort.” Jake agrees with a smile, which makes her smile at him in return.

She keeps staring at him for a moment and, despite her words, she doesn’t move from her seat just yet. Her mind is taking her back to what brought them here and there, in this car.

It’s not like having sex with Jake on the first date came as a true surprise, even with the rule _she_ came up with in the first place. The option definitely came into Amy’s mind as she was going over all the eventual turns their evening could take while getting dressed. And, as they already discussed right after, she doesn’t regret it.

What she didn’t imagine, though, was for him to manage to make her stay in bed longer than she should have the morning after.

He let out an annoyed and sleepy grunt when her first alarm went off and wake them up. He kept her close to his chest as she extended her arm to turn it off, making himself comfortable against her and invading her personal space even more than he already had during the night to prevent her from leaving his side.

She meant to escape his grip on her – she _truly_ did. But his body was warm and his hair was messy and his face was soft and so adorable with his eyes shut and his mouth curled into a smile when he felt she wasn’t moving. Plus her head was slightly hurting from the few drinks they had and she still had two more alarms she could wait for… So she ended up cuddling next to him again with a contented sigh.

She didn’t take into account the fact that she’d have to head back to her apartment before work to change – it was too late when the thought occurred to her mind and she opened her eyes in wild horror.

“I can drive you,” Jake said when she voiced her concerns out loud, his tone hoarse from sleep against the skin of her neck. He then lightly kissed her there; it sent shivers running down her spine and she instantly relaxed at the touch. She turned to look at him, studied this new version of him she was witnessing for the first time – the sight of her colleague (‘boyfriend’) (whatever _this_ was) first thing in the day with his face framed in the morning light coming from the window. A fond smile formed on her features while she brought a hand to his hair and smoothed the undisciplined curls at the top.

“Okay.” She nodded her approval. She could really get used to this new dynamic between the two of them already.

She still left the covers despite his protests this time, put on one of his clean NYPD hoodies and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee under Jake’s staring eyes, who didn’t seem like moving yet until he eventually joined her for breakfast and she disgustingly pouted at his horrible eating habits.

“Well, I’m gonna go now.” Amy eventually clears her throat to force herself back to reality. She unfastens her belt and opens the door, taking a step outside. But before she closes the door behind her and makes her way towards their precinct, she peeks her head inside the car again. She sees as Jake frowns at her with interest; she only hesitates for a moment then starts talking.

“I had a great time last night. You wanna have dinner again tonight? We could go to my place and order takeout.”

Jake’s smile broadens in front of her as he nods at her. “Sure, sounds good.” She can tell he’s trying to remain casual and not let his excitement show too much – just like she does, though can’t retain a smile back at him nor the urge to re-enter the vehicle after one quick look around to make sure they’re alone in the street. She leans over and steals him a quick peck on the lips, already missing the taste of them against hers.

“Perfect. I’ll see you in a minute, Detective,” she playfully says when they part, her gaze stuck on him for another second before she makes her way out for good this time.

(As she walks away from him, Jake watches Amy with a dreamy beam on his face – he still can’t quite believe this is his life right now. That the previous night they shared was _real_ and that he’s going to experience going out with her again in just a few hours because she had a _great time_ (her words) by his side.)


	2. It Will Be Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Roger Peralta is dead.”
> 
> Canon divergence, set somewhere at the end of season 2 (right before 2x21).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to @santiagoqueen on Tumblr for proofreading this. It’s somehow inspired by the Chicago episode from New Girl. In all honesty, I wrote it a few days ago already but still don’t know what to think of it at all…

Roger Peralta is dead.

Jake and Amy were leaving the precinct together after a long day at work, chatting happily when Jake got the call.

“Sorry, it’s my mom.” He showed her his buzzing phone before he picked up. He had a big goofy grin on his face and Amy, too, was smiling broadly – the remnants of the laughter they shared after he said something funny to her. All in all, some classic Jake/Amy moment like they became used to through the years of their partnership turned into real friendship.

(In hindsight, if she’d known the news that was to come with this call, she’d have cherished this moment more. She misses his smile already.)

She patiently watched from afar as he was pacing back and forth in the parking lot, deeply lost in his conversation. She waited for him with that same dreamy beam that wouldn’t want to leave her face and unconsciously tucked her hair behind both ears at the same time as she did so. His back was on her so she couldn’t see his own features harden with each new piece of information given to him through the phone. It’s only when he hung up and turned to her again that she knew something was wrong.

He was looking down at the floor when he approached her, his hands fiddling with the device, shaking a little. Her heart dropped at the sight – completely sunk at his broken voice.

“So, uh–… my father’s dead. Had a heart attack.” He finally managed to put his gaze back on her. He brought one of his hands to his hair and scratched the back of his head in a nervous tic.

Amy knew the two weren’t close. She knew all about their complicated relationship and how Jake cut him out of his life after the last time he came to “visit” him (rather use his son’s job to get away with some issues). Still, she could see how much the news was affecting him – and rightly so. That’s why she offered to drive him to his mother’s home where the rest of his family was already gathering together.

He clearly couldn’t get on the road in such a devastated state of mind. And she wanted to be there for him. Because she cared for him. She _really_ did.

Little did she know he would ask – nay, _plead_ – her to go inside with him when she pulled over in front of the house. And of course, she couldn’t say no. Not when he was looking at her like he was on the verge of breaking down and she was the only thing able to keep him together at this point. Not when he grabbed her hand in his and squeezed as he spoke, not wanting to let it go.

_“Please, Ames.”_

He did let it go, though. Disappeared into his room after his mother told him something – something upsetting, apparently. Leaving her as she is right now: sitting awkwardly on the couch in the living room with her palms flat on her lap and another woman’s gaze stuck on her in a very unnerving silence. She’s studying her with a frown.

“And who are you supposed to be?” Aunt Linda – or at least, that’s the name Amy heard Jake use to greet her earlier when she pulled him into a tight hug – finally asks.

“I’m, uh–… I’m Amy. Jake’s colleague. And friend.” Amy attempts a polite smile. “He asked me to come with him,” she feels the urge to add. She doesn’t want to seem like an intruder – which she kind of is. This is a family matter and she’s not his family. At least not in that sense.

“Friend, uh?” the other repeats in a skeptical tone. Next to her, she can see Karen’s lip curve up into a mysterious smile as though she knows something. Amy can feel the tip of her ears start to burn.

This is embarrassing.

“Yes. I should probably go check on him. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.” Amy quickly leaves both women alone, seeing her chance to finally escape too.

* * *

The door to Jake’s childhood room is wide open when Amy reaches it. She finds him lying on his bed with his back on her and looking at the wall in front of him. She watches him, frozen in place, for a beat. It might not be the first time she’s seeing him down but still – he’s usually the beacon of light in her life; getting a glimpse of him in his darkest hours is pretty unsettling.

And depressing. This man deserves the world.

“Can I come in?” she softly asks as she knocks on the door to make her presence known. He doesn’t say a word but she notices how his head slightly moves against his pillow in an agreement. She carefully approaches him and sits down on the free space next to him, looking around. Under better circumstances, she’d find there’s _a lot_ she could use to make fun of him on his younger days, from posters to pictures to even more knick-knacks than the bunch of toys scattered on his desk back at the precinct. But now’s not the time.

Amy sets her gaze on Jake and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Is there something I can do?”

“Lie with me?” he’s strangely quick to answer, still not looking at her. Amy hesitates for a second before she obeys – his voice is so vulnerable it’s impossible to say no to him. She takes off her shoes and lies next to him, tentatively wrapping her hands around his middle to keep him close. She hears him release a sigh under her touch and can feel his tense body relax a little against her chest. She lays her head on his shoulder and they remain silent for a while.

Amy tries not to think too much about the way her heart races at this newfound proximity and how the tip of her ears is burning in an upcoming blush. This is not the time.

“I’m sorry I left you alone with my aunt and my mother but they want me to say something at the funeral,” Jake’s voice eventually rises through the air. “I can’t do it.”

Amy takes a deep breath. It’s hard to stay strong when one of the persons you care about the most is completely broken. It’s hard to find the right, hopefully _soothing_ words in such a situation as well.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” She pauses for a beat before she goes on. “Though it might help you get some closure, y’know.” She’s careful with what she says – the last thing she wants is to upset him and for Jake to shut her out just like he previously did with the two members of his family when they suggested it. Especially when he clearly seems to need someone to talk to.

“The man’s a selfish drunken slut. No one wants to hear what I have to say about him.”

Amy doesn’t know what to answer. Heavy silence fills the room for a moment until Jake lets out a desperate sigh and eventually lets everything out.

“I don’t know why I’m so upset he’s dead. I had already cut him out of my life. It’s not like I was going to see him again after last time so it doesn’t change much for me. But still, it feels like he’s abandoning me. Again. Which is dumb, because for once it’s not even his fault.”

Amy unhooks one of her hands from his middle and brings it to his arm, gently stroking as she speaks and looking up at his face. “It’s not dumb. I guess you could still keep hoping he was gonna change when he was alive, and now he can’t anymore. It’s a pretty normal reaction to feel sad that he’s gone.”

Another sigh escapes Jake’s mouth and she can feel his hands tightening on her grip so that she holds him closer.

“Thanks for being here.”

It makes Amy smile slightly as she squeezes his hand in hers. “Anytime. You know I’m never gonna abandon you, right?” She feels like she has to remind him – like he could use such a promise right now.

As the only answer, he nods before they fall back into silence for a moment.

“I really like you, Ames,” he eventually – unexpectedly – spills it all out in a whisper and Amy’s body tenses in reaction. She’s not so sure she heard him right.

Her heart is pounding so fast in her chest she can actually hear it resonating in her burning ears.

“What?” is all she manages to say.

He turns around to face her. His eyes are piercing right through her core, shining from desperation but also something new and lighter that makes her swoon.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you out for a while now. It’s probably not the right time to tell you this but since you can apparently die unexpectedly…” he trails off as he lowers his gaze.

There are a lot of thoughts going around Amy’s mind following this confession. A lot of emotions taking over her heart. Jake likes her. Has had for a while, apparently. Some part of her, the part she’s been trying to keep locked the deeper away she could after that disaster of a road trip they took a few weeks ago, is absolutely thrilled about the news – because she likes him as well.

Still, though, the reasonable part of her can’t stop reminding her about their current situation. Jake just lost his father.

They’re really not the best with timings when it comes to admitting their feelings.

“Jake, I–…” The words get stuck at the back of her throat.

“You don’t have to go soft on me just because I lost someone today, Santiago.” Jake forces a chuckle but the nervousness is easily recognizable in his voice.

Immediately her expression softens and she rushes to clear things up before he misunderstands her.

“No, no! I like you too. It’s just–…”

“You do?” His eyes light up as he doesn’t let her finish her sentence. It reminds her of the way he stared at her when Teddy spilled the truth about her feelings towards him during their breakup – although it’s intensified here. Her heart warms up in her chest and she smiles at him, fond and sincere.

Screw the bad timing, she thinks.

“Yeah.”

For the first time ever since he got the call, she gets a glimpse of the real Jake through his joyous, goofy grin for a moment while realization seems to hit him. She likes him.

They’re already really close – lying face-to-face and invading each other’s personal space like never before but Jake leans in even more, pressing his lips against hers in a small demanding kiss. Amy’s quick to respond, closing her eyes as she brings a hand to his cheek and he grabs her waist with his. There’s a new glint shining inside his eyes when they part – and she’s pretty sure she’s wearing a similar awestruck expression on her own face.

Amy knows this is just a truce in the middle of the many wrecked emotions Jake’s about to face in the following days – weeks, even – but for now she’s just glad to see him smile again.

And in any case, she’s going to be by his side every step of the way as she swore she would never abandon him. She well intends to keep this promise.


	3. Faire battre le ciel pour un futur plus beau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where’s Amy?”  
> “She is in the library, writing a book report on Jane Eyre, and she told me ‘not to wait up.’”
> 
> Spoilers 6x03. Missing scene from the high school reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really know how to translate the title but I can’t think of something more fitting right now (it’s from a French song I used to love when I was younger), something like “make the sky thump (?) for a better future” maybe?
> 
> (Yep, I’m the worst with titles lmao sorry.)

It’s really no surprise that Jake finds Amy in the library. He didn’t even have to search for her – he simply went straight there, certain that it’s where she would be.

And there she is indeed, sitting at one of the tables with her whole attention focused on something she’s writing down on a piece of paper. She doesn’t seem to have heard him coming – her eyes only switch from her paper to sneak a few glances at a book that’s open next to her; they never land on him. Jake takes this opportunity to watch her for a moment.

His lips curve up into a soft smile as he looks at Amy frenetically writing down whatever’s going through her mind in what he can only imagine is perfect handwriting. She hung her little backpack on the back of her chair; the part of her hair she tied with her big scrunchie is falling on her left with her head tilted to the side.

She’s so cute when she’s lost in her work.

After years of partnership, he’s got many occasions to see her like this; but never did it happen inside the walls of his old high school.

It’s like she belongs in there, and a stunning sight for sure – one that reminds him of the time he surprised her with a night spent at the New York Public Library for their six-month anniversary. She was so excited, going around the different shelving units with actual stars shining inside her eyes as she told him all about some of her favourite books with a visible passion.

They sat at a similar table in the middle of the library and he listened to her ramblings with the same loving beam he’s looking at her right now, his hands on top of hers gently stroking their back with his thumbs. Even if he hadn’t said the words yet at the time, he still knew she was important and mattered more than any of his previous love stories – more than Jenny Gildenhorn herself.

He already wanted things to work out for the best between the two of them. Had had this feeling since day one. Three years later, he couldn’t be happier it did indeed and they’re now  _married_.

 _What would’ve happened if you got caught? You would have never become a cop_ , Gina’s speech from earlier suddenly strikes back into his mind and Jake’s heart tightens in his chest at the thought this statement implies. If it wasn’t for his job at the Nine-Nine, he probably would have never met  _her_. Would have never become Amy’s partner, in crime and later in life.

And it’s something he’d rather not imagine; what a life without her in it would be like.

In the end then, maybe  _one_  ruined high school year is nothing if he thinks about where it lead him – towards a future with his  _soulmate_  by his side for the rest of their lives.

Gina did the right thing indeed, he can see it now.

It’s this thought that eventually makes him take a step forward and come sit in front of Amy. As he does so, he takes a quick glance at her paper that’s already filled with lines and lines of what he supposes are brilliant ideas before he settles his gaze on her when she looks up.

“Oh, hi babe!” He seems to have startled her. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright with Gina?”

She talks to him in whispers – they’re in a library, after all.

He offers her a small reassuring smile. “Yeah, everything’s good.” He nods, then curiously points towards what’s in front of her. “What are  _you_  doing?”

Jake sees how the tip of Amy’s ears starts to turn a new shade of pink in a blush. It makes him chuckle lightly.

“I’m writing a book report on  _Jane Eyre_ …” she trails off and he laughs a little bit more.

“Nerd.”

He shakes his head but his smile only grows wider. He might have had an overall pretty terrible night during this reunion but for sure Amy is having the time of her life – and he loves seeing her like this, getting all thrilled about everything (loved it even more when she pinned him against a desk after she learned about his attendance record and the hours he spent doing community service).

(If you’d told 17-year old Jake that his future wife would be so turned on by all of this they would end up having sex in the high school’s administration office twenty years later, he would have literally laughed at you. And yet there they were.)

“Well, seems like you’re pretty busy here. I’m gonna leave you and your book alone and go check out on Gina.” He stands up, seeing as he’s not needed in there – the reason why he left his friend for a moment after they made up and came to find her in the first place.

“Mmhmm,” Amy barely answers. She’s already focusing back on her work.

“See you later?”

“Yeah. But don’t wait up. Might take a while.” She meets his eyes as she warns him.

Again, it makes Jake shake his head in mock-exasperation.

“‘K, babe.” He chuckles. “Have fun.”

He approaches her and presses a soft kiss on the cheek that she’s presenting him out of habit, without looking.

“Love you,” he tells her before he walks away.

“Love you too.” Amy eventually brings her gaze on him and gives him a warm loving smile that soon reciprocates on his own features.

Yep, his life definitely turned great since high school – he couldn’t ask for more, he thinks as he dreamily stares at his amazing wife.


	4. In the Wee Hours of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-6x05. Amy comes back home to Jake completely drunk.

If coming back home to an empty apartment hasn’t been strange enough, Jake is completely stunned when he opens the door after he hears a knock and finds himself face-to-face with his very visibly  _very drunk_ wife (she can barely stand on her two feet) holding onto… a just as shockingly  _sober_  and  _responsible_ Hitchcock?!

Jake knew Amy had plans to go to Shaw’s and have a few drinks with the rest of the squad, but still – it’s past 4 a.m., which means they stayed until closing time of the bar, something that usually  _never_  happens. Even on the night of their wedding, they didn’t stay this late (though they did stay up late enough to see the sun rising through the curtains of their room – they just needed some welcomed privacy away from the crowded place, plus the general celebrating mood quickly died down after Holt read the news about him not getting his dream job).

This night has almost reached its end but clearly, it’s still full of surprises.

“Hi, babe!” Amy literally shouts the words when she meets his gaze. She tries to wave at him but almost loses her balance with the attempted gesture; he instinctively takes a step forward and catches her before she falls. He welcomes her into his embrace, releasing their colleague from her tight grip on his arm.

“I’m happy to see you too but if you could keep it down a little… I think people in the building would like to sleep.” Jake amusedly smiles at her. She tries to smile back but it soon turns into a yawn.

“She was back at three drinks but then vomited again after she got off the cab and backed down to Loud Amy,” Hitchcock explains. Jake shoots him, then his wife, a curious look. It seems like he missed out on a very wild night – and he probably won’t get any details about it from Amy, or at least not before the morning after (if she remembers anything).

Indeed, as he glances at her, he sees her blink repeatedly; she’s fighting hard not to fall asleep right here on the doorway. He can feel it in the way she’s weighing heavier and heavier against his side too. He offers her another fond and loving smile. “Ooookay. Let’s get you to bed, shall we?”

She nods her agreement against his shoulder. She’s apparently too tired for words.

“Thanks Hitchcock, we’ll see you on Monday at work,” Jake looks up at the other man for a second then closes the door in front of him without waiting for an answer.

Slowly, ever-so-carefully, he walks Amy to their bedroom and sits her on the mattress. Her head keeps falling down while he takes her clothes off to get her more comfortable before tucking her in. Jake can’t retain the small laugh that escapes his throat when she suddenly jerks her head back up in a moment of awakening and a grimace immediately forms on her face, surely due to the pain it caused to her dizzy head.

(He knows he should feel bad for her but all he can think about right now is how he won’t have to make up an excuse later when they wake up to stay in bed and cuddle all morning during their shared day off.  _She_  will be the one begging him to keep the lights off and do nothing.)

“Rough night?!” he teases when their gazes meet. The only answer he gets in return is a low grunt coming from Amy, who’s already closing her eyes again. It makes him laugh a little harder.

She’s adorable even at her worst.

“Okay, let’s tuck you in now.” Jake throws the covers over and gently leans her back when he’s down undressing her and made her drink a glass of water. She doesn’t try to resist and he soon joins her in, laying on his side of the bed. She doesn’t waste any time after that to glue her body against his, seeking some of his warmth while wrapping her arms around his middle and entangling their legs together under the covers.

She then lets her head fall onto the crook of his neck and lets out a contented sigh.

(Post-drunken nights Amy is usually extra clingy and Jake’s  _loving it_.)

“You alright there, honey?” he asks when she’s stopped moving. He can feel her breathing evening out against his ear. “World’s not spinning too much?”

“Uh-huh.” She shakes her head slowly. He feels something wet against his skin as she presses a small kiss on his neck with her head buried there. It sends shivers running down his spine. “I’m okay.” Amy settles more against his side. “We saved Shaw’s,” she whispers into his ear and even though Jake has no idea why they could have lost the bar he still understands it makes her happy from the dreamy smile he can tell she’s wearing on her lips.

(It somehow makes him happy too, despite not knowing the full story behind her enigmatic words – he definitely couldn’t bear the thought of possibly losing one of the places where he keeps some of the best memories of his shared moments with his squad.

With his  _wife_. Including the rest of their wedding night following the ceremony.)

“I’m glad you did,” he simply answers, knowing all too well it’s useless to ask to tell him more about it right now. She’ll have all the time to update him on the latest news in the morning.

(He, too, has a lot to share with her regarding his latest encounter with Doug Judy and how things turned out.)

Jake takes one of her hands that’s secured around his middle in his and brings it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss there. “G’night, babe.”

He receives no other reply than a small snore coming from Amy’s side. He slightly turns his head to be able to see her without disturbing her and watches her sleep for a minute, shaking his head with a small chuckle and his heart full of love for his wife. He then lets his head fall back onto his pillow and closes his eyes too. He puts his hands on top of hers and softly rubs their back with his thumb.

He’s lulled to sleep by her even breathing against his ear and the feeling of her rising and falling stomach against his back.


	5. You're the Wisest Funny One that I Will Ever, Ever Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during 6x07, Jake telling Amy about his date plans.

It’s around hour 1:15 that Jake’s bored mind starts drifting off towards Amy and how she would love it if she were in his place. He’s fidgeting with his wedding ring, thinking about her and how he can’t wait to see her at home when the idea pops into his head that he should take her there for a date night. It makes the wait so much more bearable; trying and remembering Holt’s every word to impress her later with his unexpected knowledge of barrel-making gives him a purpose. Associating the facts he learns with Amy’s potential reactions to them turns the remaining two hours into a much funnier moment than he ever expected it would be, and he’s wearing a full grin when he buys Yanya two tickets for Friday night before he leaves. (Not that he really needs to – he highly doubt the exhibition will ever be sold out. But him buying tickets in advance? It’s definitely gonna please his wife.)

He’s got an awesome idea for sure.

She’s already home when he arrives, sitting on the couch with a trash bag at her feet and a few personal things methodically arranged on the table in front of her. She seems so focused on whatever she’s doing that she barely turns around to shoot him a smile when he passes the front door.

“Hi babe. What do you think I should keep?” she points towards two of the items when he approaches her. Jake presses a soft kiss to her lips as he sits next to her. He then fixes his gaze on the table, brows furrowing in slight confusion.

“I don’t know? Both?”

He’s not the best at getting rid of things (much to Amy’s regret).

She rolls her eyes at him. “You’re not helping.” Then brings her attention back onto the items and after a short pause, puts one into the trash with a contented sigh.

Jake amusedly shakes his head as he watches her; he’s not so sure what he’s witnessing right now.

“Anyways. I have a surprise for you!” he joyfully exclaims.

The words immediately catch Amy’s attention. She abandons everything she was doing before and turns around to look him in the eyes. She’s wearing an intrigued smile on her face.

“Really? What is it?”

“Do you know there’s a barrel-making exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Industry?”

“I do.” She nods and smiles. “Y'know I’ve subscribed to this monthly magazine that lists all the new exhibitions in museums in New York. But how do  _you_  know?!” It’s easy to tell by the way she stares at him that she didn’t expect him of all people to have heard of such an event.

“I was there with Holt this afternoon. Long story,” he adds when he sees the look she shoots at him – he’ll have all the time to tell her all about that whole Gordon-the-spy story later. “But I got us tickets. Friday night. You and me.” To emphasize his words, Jake takes the tickets out of his pocket. “What do you say?” He’s proudly grinning, impatiently waiting for Amy’s reaction.

A reaction that is soon to come, and he can tell the exact moment the information fully reaches her brain. The expression in her eyes switches suddenly as they grow bigger in surprise… and a little arousal.

_(Bingpot!)_

“Seriously? You want to go there?  _Again?!_ ” She’s definitely startled.

“Yeah. I learned a few facts I think you’ll find really interesting,” he says in a suggestive voice as he wriggles his eyebrows and beams at her. If he’s to trust her body language right now, he made the right call.

Amy is loving his surprise.

(Not to brag, but he’s truly nailing this husband thing.)

“Oh, mama…” Amy whispers before she leans over. She scoots closer to his side and, instead of showing her excitement about their upcoming night through words, cups his face and kisses him fiercely.

Jake chokes back a laugh when they part. “Wow. You really like that surprise, don’t you?!”

She blushes a little at that, the tip of her ears turning a new shade of red. “Mmmhmm.” She brings him in again for another searing kiss.

He’s got an awesome idea indeed.


	6. You Say I Am Held When I Am Falling Short (And I Believe)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-6x08, Amy almost tells Jake what happened with her ex-Captain after he finds her on their rooftop as she’s about to pass her sergeant exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how sometimes you listen to a song and it kinda reminds you of a scene and makes you want to write about it? Well, this is what happened with this story haha. I wasn’t gonna write anything about 6x08 but then I re-heard “You Say” by Lauren Daigle and this happened.
> 
> (This, and a comment a friend left on my latest YouTube video about said episode.)
> 
> So here’s a little drabble based during the rooftop scene in 4x18 now that we know more about Amy’s backstory. FYI before you might start reading, the assault isn’t really mentioned but it’s definitely hinted at.
> 
> Oh and obviously since it’s what inspired this lil thing, the title comes from “You Say” by Lauren Daigle haha.

She almost tells him.

She’s never told anyone before. It’s been years since it happened and most days she manages not to think about it too much, but this new step she’s trying to take in her career is bringing back some painful memories she’d rather forget. She knows if she were ever to tell anyone it’d be him. She could trust him with her life. Even before they started dating he was the one she’d turn to whenever she needed to talk to someone about something. _Anything._

She listens to him, listens to his words that bring a smile to her face and help tame her demons a little and she almost tells him. Almost shares her past and fears and why this is so important to her. How this is revenge – against life, against her ex-captain, against the voice in her head that keeps trying to persuade her she doesn’t deserve being where she is right now even after all these years. Even if she’s proven her worth as detective tons of times in the past – and still does, day after day on the field.

She’s amazing at her job and she’ll be even better at being a sergeant. She worked her ass off to pass this exam and she didn’t take help from anyone.

She _does_ deserve the promotion.

(She _did_ deserve the previous one too.)

Despite everything, it feels a little surreal to Amy that of all people, _Jake_ would become the one she’d want to tell her story to now. She remembers her first day at the Nine-Nine, how both relieved and scared she was feeling after the circumstances in which she left her last precinct. She remembers Charles’s comment about hearing wedding bells upon their encounter and how she worried she’d walked into a similar place than the one she’d just run away from.

It took her so long to get past this and truly appreciate her partner from the opposite desk.

Yet if he were to get down on one knee right there, on this rooftop so meaningful for them and ask her to marry him now, she wouldn’t hesitate one second to say yes.

(Little does she know there _is_ a little box and a ring hidden somewhere in their apartment and waiting for Jake to propose on the right occasion.)

She wants to share her story with him but in the end she doesn’t. Maybe someday she will, but right now it’s still too painful; as she’s on the verge of passing her sergeant exam, the fear of what speaking up could do to her career is still all too real – even after all these years.

Even if it’s _him_.

She’s scared and she doesn’t tell him about her past but then _he_ tells _her_ she’s too good to be afraid to be successful and suddenly her world seems a little bit brighter. She feels a little bit better. Most of all, she somehow believes it. She believes _him_.

She _is_ good indeed – and she damn right deserves her promotion.

_“I’m gonna be a sergeant!”_

_“_ _You’re gonna be a sergeant!”_

(They’ve been married for a few months and she’s been a sergeant even longer than that when a case comes up and she eventually opens up to him, and the way he reacts to her story makes her realize once again that she couldn’t have asked for a better husband for sure.)


	7. I Got All I Need When I Got You and I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6x09 Canon-divergence; in which Amy and David don’t stop the car when the mobsters get Jake and they manage to get away with him.

He missed his shots.

David Santiago – _perfect, never-fails-anything-in-life_ David Santiago – missed his shots. Amy’s world collapses as her heart drops in her chest.

She has to watch, helpless, as the criminals are getting away and taking her husband along with them.

_Jake…_

“Give this to me!”

Amy fiercely snatches the gun out of her brother’s hands and starts shooting at the car. It’s useless, really; the vehicle is too far away for her to reach it now, especially given that she’s got tears inside her eyes obstructing her view and her hands are shaking with the pressure. She might have received a gold certification in marksmanship only the previous week but the chances of her getting this _one_ shot perfectly are pretty thin.

It doesn’t stop her from trying.

She keeps shooting, bullet after bullet, but it’s too late. No matter how hard she tries or how much she focuses on the task, she simply can’t reach the damn car.

 _This_ is why she let David do it. Because there was too much at stakes, with her husband’s safety on the line and she couldn’t risk it. Because he’s supposed to be better than her – better than _anyone_. Their mother made that pretty clear their whole lives.

But he missed his shots. And now _Jake_ is missing.

A single tear rolls down her cheek.

“Amy, stop!” The other Santiago forces her to lower her gun and look at him. “This is useless. Let’s get in the car and follow them. We _won’t_ let them get away, I promise. We’ll get him back.”

He’s right – of course he is – and at another time it would have infuriated her that he is. But right now it doesn’t; right now the reassuring look on his face and the softness in his voice are all she needs to get out of her trance and start thinking like a cop again. She can’t break down – not if she wants to fall asleep with her arms wrapped around her husband’s warm body tonight.

She doesn’t waste her time saying anything. Simply nods and starts running towards their own vehicle, already taking out her phone to track Jake’s device.

 _Please don’t be turned off…_ she silently prays.

The ride is spent in utter, heavy silence. Amy keeps her eyes fixed on the screen of her phone and the two little dots on the map following one another around New York City, heading North, until one of them eventually stops. She tells her brother to park a few blocks away not to be noticed and they continue their course by foot, still quiet with their guns held in front of them.

There’s not a sound around them as they walk passed empty gloomy streets in the dark of the night. It’s so silent even that Amy can almost hear her pounding heart resonate inside her ears. The atmosphere is heavy and smells like crime and _death_ _,_ and it’s really hard for her not to think about the past half hour and what could have happened on the other vehicle’s way to here.

What could be happening _right now_ , as she and David are heading towards the building where her husband is supposedly held captive.

She shakes her head, trying to chase away the thoughts. She can’t let her mind wander off like this. This isn’t helping Jake.

Eventually they find the mobsters’ car parked in front of an abandoned building and Amy rushes in its direction. Of course it’s empty now but as she looks through the window for a sign, _any_ sign of any sort despite how little she can see through them, she lets out a horrified gasp when she spots what she believes is a stain of blood on one of the backseat’s seats.

She can’t tell if it’s fresh – _damn_ this tinted windows.

As determined as she’s ever been, Amy takes a step towards the building but David stops her before she can go too far.

“We should wait for backup. We don’t know how many people there are inside and there’s only two of us.”

 _Again_ , she knows he’s right – but this time she _hates_ that he is.

“My _husband_ is in there, all because _he_ convinced me we should help _you_ with _your_ problems,” she snaps – because really, being mad is all she can do right now.

“I know. I’m sorry.” David takes her hand in his and squeezes gently. “I sincerely am.”

She can tell by the look on his face that he is. Amy closes her eyes and sighs to regain some composure.

“It’s okay. Jake’s right. If it were you in there with these criminals, I’d be worried too and couldn’t forget myself for not doing anything.”

She manages a small smile at him and he smiles back. Despite everything, she’s glad he’s here with her during such hard and scary times.

“There’s an entrance right there. Let’s see if we can get a glimpse of what’s going on inside.”

The two siblings approach the building very quietly and very carefully.

“Damn, you smell so _good_. What’s that smell?”

A voice – _Jake_ ’s voice, Amy recognizes it easily – suddenly rises through the air not so far away. A pang of relief runs down her spine at the sound of it (he’s _alive_ ) and she quickens her pace towards where it came from.

“Shut up!” Someone answers him. The relief washes off her body pretty suddenly with this new voice – it’s much more menacing than her husband’s.

 _“_ _Outch.”_ She hears him wince in pain, making her heart clench in her chest. “Is that how you react to a compliment?!”

“Who sent you?!” the other voice asks in the same severe tone as previously. He’s clearly not amused nor pleased.

There’s a short pause after that, during which Amy and David finally enter the building. They hide behind a wall and sneak a peek at the scene – they can see what’s happening in there now; if only partially. Amy’s view of Jake is obstructed by a huge guy (most logically the owner of the severe voice) standing in front of him but from the little she can get, he seems tied up on a chair.

“Who sent you?!” the guy repeats and as he does so, brings out a gun that he points to his head. This time, Amy sees _clearly_ how Jake’s eyes grow bigger for a second and how he clears his throat.

(She also gets a glimpse at his face, at the red stain of blood at the corner of his lower lip and his black eye. Her heart sinks again.)

She lets out a horrified gasp.

“We gotta do something! He’s gonna get himself killed if he doesn’t talk!” Amy turns over to her brother, who’s been watching the scene too. She tries to keep her voice in a low whisper despite the extremely stressful situation and all the worst scenarios going on her mind right now as her husband’s got a gun pointed at his head only a few meters away from them.

David looks around in complete silence for a minute.

“ _Please_ David. Tell me you’ve got a plan. I can’t lose him.” Her voice breaks with the last words. She’s spiralling, and she knows it’s not helping but she can’t help it. She can’t think straight.

Not when her husband’s literally got a _freaking gun pointed at his head only a few meters away from them_ _._

(It’s not the first time he has, and it’s not the first she witnesses it either, but this time she’s not there to point a gun at their opponent as well.)

(To shot him in the leg and save his life.)

“Don’t make me ask you again.” In her back, the mobster threatens and her fear intensifies.

 _Think, think, think…_ Amy searches for an escape but nothing comes.

 _Damn_ , she can’t lose him. He’s too important to her. She loves him too much. Her eyes well up and her heart clenches as she can already hear the gunshot and picture the blood all around the chair.

She can picture _him_ …

“ _I_ did.”

Her brother’s voice suddenly takes Amy out of her dark thoughts. She barely has the time to register what’s happening or talk him out of it that he’s already getting out of their hiding space and walking into the light, revealing himself to his nemesis.

 _Idiota_ _,_ she can’t help but think.

* * *

Knowing him, Amy probably shouldn’t be surprised about it but in some miraculous way, David’s stupid plan turns out not to be so stupid in the end. They somehow manage to arrest the mobsters just in time for backup to arrive and pick the criminals up. Of course, as soon as they hear about what happened and how they got the bad guys, everyone starts gushing about her brother’s selflessness, risking his life to save Jake’s without thinking about it for a second.

For once though, Amy couldn’t care less.

She couldn’t care less because while everyone else is busy taking care of the criminals and listening to the story of Jake’s rescue, she rushes to her _safe and sound_ husband who’s still tied up but completely out of danger. While they all praise David with words of admiration, it’s the love of her life she gets to talk with.

“Are you okay?!” She carefully studies his injured face when he’s finally up and out of his ties.

Thankfully, it doesn’t look as bad as she first imagined it would be.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” He offers her a reassuring smile before looking away for a second. “I’m sorry David stole your thunder by saving me again.” He points to the direction of the little crowd formed around her brother.

Amy follows his gaze, glancing at the scene before she puts her full attention back on her husband. She puts her two hands on his shoulders, going up his neck and letting them rest on his cheek. She gently removes a stain of blood with her finger and stares at him with a smile.

“Are you kidding?! I don’t care about that. All I care about is that you’re safe. You’re so much more important than any rivalry between us or any dumb picture on a mantle. I’m _so glad_ he saved you.”

Jake beams back at her as he brings his own hand to her arm. “Aww. Well I’m okay. Promise.”

“Good.”

Amy takes a step forward and leans over, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. Jake’s hands naturally fall on the small of her back and he brings her closer to his chest. When they part from the kiss, she doesn’t let go of him just yet; instead she wraps her arms further around his shoulders and lets her head rest in the crook of his neck. She takes a huge breath as she hugs him tight.

She’s got so scared she was going to lose him.

( _Again_ _._ )

(For good.)

But thankfully, she _will_ sleep with her arms wrapped around his warm body tonight.

“I love you so much,” she whispers against his skin, barely audible then looks up at Jake.

“I love you so much too.” He looks at her with the softest look anyone’s ever given her in her entire life and in the moment, she can’t think of anything that matter more than _he_ does.


	8. You Pulled Me in and Together We're Lost in a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy eventually share a slow dance at the Boyle-Linetti Wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a huge Boyle-Linetti Wedding withdrawal last night and this happened haha. There’s a real chance other fics set during this episode might come up in the following weeks because I ADORE it and got some amazing ideas from lovely anons on Tumblr :’)
> 
> This one for example is as much @alys07’s as it is mine, since 90% of the ideas here are hers and all I did was put them together.

“You owe me big time.”

Jake lets out a grunt when the music stops and he abandons his partner to join Amy again, not amused.

It’s not just the fact that she tricked him into dancing with an old woman who kept touching his butt during the whole duration of the song – it’s the hope she brought to his heart for a second that she was asking him to dance with  _her_. It filled his heart with utter joy and a well-known feeling he thought he’d locked away enough and damn, he was really a fool for believing he was over her.

(For believing she would actually want to slow dance with him, too.)

“Why’s that?” Amy plays the innocent card. “You and Susan didn’t click? Because you sure seemed to be getting along very well on that dancefloor.”

Her eyes are shining with amusement as she’s grinning widely. She’s apparently still very proud of the prank she pulled on him. The softness with which she looked at him just mere moments ago while he was dancing and she was watching is still in there as well, hidden behind the newly retrieved playfulness of her expression and god, does she look adorable.

He’s screwed.

“Ha–ha.” Jake fake-laughs. “Very funny. But I guess at least she didn’t step on both my feet at the same time. Not like someone else I know…” He teases back with a knowing beam because really, that’s all he can do – he can’t possibly tell her he would have rather shared a slow dance with  _her_  like he first imaged she was implying, can he?

They’re  _friends_. Friends don’t share romantic moments.

(Friends don’t gaze at each other the way they did during those full 3 minutes and 51 seconds of ‘All Out of Love’ playing in the background either.)

To be honest though, he would have shared a slow dance with  _anyone_  rather than Great Aunt Susan. But, in this endless list of people he would have rather danced with, Amy would have come first.

Yeah, even before  _Jenny Gildenhorn_. And by far.

Seems like  _she_  is the one he’s obsessed with and can’t forget about, finally.

They keep going with their banter for a while and soon their shared moment is all but forgotten. They join the rest of their squad for a group picture, have laughs and drinks and friendly conversations, never staying apart for too long for the rest of the night. The thought of Jenny and her new ‘boyfriend’ doesn’t reach Jake’s mind once during the party – he’s too busy having fun with his friends.

(Too busy having fun with  _Amy_.)

That is, until the end of the night draws nearer, with part of the guests already gone, and the DJ seems to decide it’s time to put back some CDs of soft music he already played earlier in the evening.

And of course, among them has to be  _the_  song.

“Are they kidding me?!” Jake pauses still in the middle of the dancefloor (Amy dragged him and their other colleagues there the minute the effects of the third glass of champagne she downed kicked in her system) as he immediately recognizes the melody filling the air.

_I’m lying alone with my head on the phone…_

Hearing the song again hurts but now it’s not because of Jenny and stupid Eddie Fung and ruined bar-mitzvahs. Now it rather sounds like missed opportunities and pining for the woman across his desk at work – for the woman who’s currently standing next to him and lets out a snort when she recognizes the music too.

“This is not funny.” Jake pouts but it only makes her laugh more.

“I think it is.” She offers him a bright, playful smile and he swears his heart might be melting in his chest.

There’s a short pause after that, during which Amy seems to consider something before she eventually breaks the silence again.

“Wanna dance?”

At first, Jake thinks he might be hallucinating. He’s had a few drinks and is feeling a little tipsy, after all. Hearing voices seems more likely that Amy asking him to dance together.

“With you?” he asks, seeking confirmation. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up over nothing. Not again.

“Yeah, me with.” Amy chuckles. It’s probably the most beautiful music Jake’s ever listened to in his whole life – even better than Taylor Swift’s best tune.

( _So._   _Screwed._ )

“As you said, I owe you. Plus 3-Drink Amy is still kicking  _strong_.” Her smile is soft now and as he gazes into her eyes for a second, and sees the same glint in there as the one she looked at him with earlier while dancing with Great Aunt Susan, he understands that he is  _not_  hallucinating. She wants to dance with him –  _for realz_  this time.

_Cool cool cool cool cool._

His heart is pounding, his mind is racing, filled with questions and  _what does this mean, does she still like me too or is this just Amy Dance Pants talking like she said it is_  but somehow, his voice is calm and sure when he answers her.

“Okay.” He’s pretty certain the smile he gives her back is the biggest grin he’s ever shot anyone with.

The way they move around with the other couples slowly swaying on the dancefloor is shy at first. They don’t get too close – Amy’s palm is barely pressed on his side while Jake’s hand brushes over her right shoulder, only touching her with the tip of his fingers. Their other hands are locked together as they take a few synched steps together.

Jake can’t help but fear his hands will start to get sweaty with the nervousness he’s currently experiencing and Amy will be able to tell, not wanting to show how much he’s enjoying the moment too much.

They’re just friends, nothing more.

But then he fixes his gaze onto Amy’s, onto the bright smile and tender look she’s shooting at him and his whole body relaxes in a second. Unconsciously, his grip on her body becomes firmer and she follows – he can feel her knuckles curling around his waist more as she grabs his suit and takes a step closer in his direction, invading his personal space a little more.

Jake lets out a small gasp. His heart is beating so fast and his whole body is burning so strong, he thinks he’s most likely going to burst at some point.

_He’s got Amy Santiago in his arms and they’re sharing a slow dance._

This definitely feels like a dream he’s having – yet it’s very real.

As seconds pass and the song progresses, they both become more and more comfortable around each other, getting lost in the moment, to the point that Amy seems to eventually stop fighting the intimacy and just closes her eyes and rests her head against his. They instinctively switch positions so that they’re somehow wrapped into a close embrace and Jake hears her release a satisfied sigh.

At this point, he who used to  _hate_  this dumb song finds himself wishing the DJ would let it play on repeat forever, so that he never has to let go of her.

Because nothing ever felt as good and  _right_  as having Amy inside his arms.

(Even if she still smells a little like garbage from their previous adventures of the day despite her change of clothes and use of perfume to hide it – it truly doesn’t bother him. If anything, it only reminds him of another great memory they shared together, going after a criminal all  _James Bond_ -stylez.)

They move around in soothing silence, never breaking apart and leaning onto the other. Lost in his thoughts, Jake lets his gaze wander around at the other people surrounding them and catches sight of Charles. His best friend shoots him a huge grin and two thumbs up, making Jake shake his head in return and roll his eyes.

This is not what he imagines. This is just a dance between two friends. Because that’s what Amy and he are.

_Friends._

He tightens his grip around her body and lets his own head lean against hers with a contented sigh too.

Eventually –  _unfortunately_  – the song comes to an end. They stop when the music does, but don’t draw apart too quickly. His arms are still around her body when Amy looks up and stares into his eyes with a look in there that makes Jake swoon. (He’s pretty sure his own reflect the same awestruck emotion – or at least that’s what he thinks he’s reading in hers; what  _he_  feels about her.)

They don’t say a single word, simply keep their eyes fixed onto the other for a beat. He catches how for a split second Amy looks down at his lips and damn, if he was trying not to think about it too much before, it’s all it takes for his mind to take him there now: he wants to kiss her so much.

And he easily could, really. Her face is only inches away from his – all he has to do is lean in and he could press his mouth against hers in a tender kiss.

And he almost does, really. Because it seems like she’s thinking about the same thing with her staring eyes and slightly parted, lipstick-colored lips.

But then a new, more upbeat song rises into the air before he finds the guts to make a move and the moment is lost. Amy turns her head, seemingly a little surprised as they’re brought back to the reality of where they are and suddenly they both become very aware of all the people surrounding them and how they’re the only ones still wrapped in an intimate embrace.

She jerks away. Jake immediately misses the warmth of her body pressed against his.

They find themselves stuck in awkward silence for a few seconds after that – they can’t seem to dare meeting each other’s gaze anymore when only a moment ago they were drowning into the other’s eyes. Jake clears his throat as he wants to talk – wants to ease the tension between them.

(Wants to tell her how dancing with her made him feel. Tell her he still likes her, and probably never stopped.

Build up some courage and actually ask her out.)

(Because what they shared… they were having a moment, right? He didn’t dream all of this. He didn’t dream all the smiles and looks and how perfectly her body fit against his. It  _had_  to be a moment. It couldn’t be the way she dances with everyone – he danced with her in the past, and though it was really pleasurable, it never felt as romantic as it did here.

What differs is that they were on duty, though. So maybe it  _is_  how she dances with everyone – when she’s not undercover on a mission.

Nah, that’s crazy. It  _can’t_  be. They  _definitely_  were having a moment… didn’t they?

But if they did, what does it mean, then? Does she like him too?! That’s a pretty crazy thing to think about as well, to be honest.)

He knows the only way to find out is by directly asking her. But Amy beats him at it, her voice taking him out of his spiralling thoughts.

“I, uh–… I need to go to the bathroom.” She points towards somewhere opposite them, still barely looking at him. “Sorry.” She doesn’t wait for an answer to leave.

He doesn’t stop her. Simply watches her go, with his courage fading more and more with each new step she takes further away from him and his heart tightening in his chest.

( _So, so screwed._ )

“So, you and Amy, uh? Is it finally happening? We saw you guys on the dancefloor. You seemed pretty close.” Charles and Terry appear out of nowhere by his side and take Jake out of his contemplation, wiggling their eyebrows at him suggestively and it makes him sigh. This is definitely not what he needs right now.

“Calm down. It was just a dance,” he quickly dismisses them.

“Just a dance?!” They unfortunately insist. They share a knowing look and laugh. “You guys were literally devouring each other with your eyes.”

“We could feel the tension from the other side of the room,” Charles backs Terry up.

“Psht. I don’t see what you’re talking about,” he still denies, although he can feel his cheek start to burn in a blush at his friends’ words.

He so wishes they’re right.

He so wishes she  _does_  still like him too, and he’ll finally find the guts to ask her out – before he does the same mistake of speaking up too late.

(He doesn’t do it that night, as Amy is soon to leave the party after she comes back from the bathroom, pretending she’s tired. On the next Monday when they meet again at work, he doesn’t do it either as they avoid any talk about the wedding altogether and he feels like the time isn’t  _right_.

In fact, it still takes a few weeks to admit his feelings – in his defencse, she  _does_  tell him about her rule of not dating cops when he finally builds up the courage to do it, which stops him right in his tracks – but in the end, it doesn’t really matter how long it takes for him to do so. Because from the moment he eventually does, the moment he doesn’t hesitate and kisses her, it signs the start of something good. The start of a lifetime together, making up for bad timing and missed opportunities.)


	9. I'll Be the Heart of Your Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-4x11, or the moment when Jake decides he’s gonna read the Harry Potter books because Amy loves them so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a prompt nobody asked for, from a list of “one hundred ways to say I love you” on Tumblr: “One more chapter.”

“Hi, babe. Are you coming to bed soon?”

Jake’s voice is soft as he enters Amy’s little book haven and a smile spreads across his face at the sight she offers. She’s comfortably sitting on a chair with one volume of her favorite book series in her hands and a small blanket draped over her lap to keep her warm. She’s already in her pajamas, wearing an old NYPD T-shirt and her gigantic glasses – she removed her contacts a while ago already.

It’s a beautiful scene, the domesticity of which makes his heart flutter; it reminds him of _home_ and this thrilling promise of _moving in together_ still hanging in the air between them.

Even though truth to be told, it already feels like they’re living together and have been for a while. Whether they’ve been staying at her place or his, very few have been the nights they spent apart ever since he and Holt came back from Florida. It’s only a matter of time now before they make it official – if only one of them would agree of letting go of their apartment.

Deep down, Jake knows it’d be a lot easier if _he_ were to move into Amy’s. Only by looking at all the books gathered in this _one_ small room, he’s not so sure they’d manage to find a place where to put them in his little studio.

Still, he’d love for her to come live with him just as much as she’d love for him to do the same and they haven’t found a solution yet.

“I’m coming. Just one more chapter and I’m here, promise.” Amy’s voice takes him out of his reverie as she answers him.

She draws her attention away from her book for a second and shoots him a smile that soon reciprocates on his own features. She quickly goes back to her reading though, and Jake lets out a small chuckle with a shake of his head. What can he say? His girl loves books and he loves that about her, even though he surely doesn’t share this interest for them.

He could go back to bed and wait for her there while playing on his phone, but he doesn’t. Instead he leans against the door frame and watches her, watches how focused and invested in the story she is as she turns another page of a book she must know by heart by now; she probably read it more times than the number of books he himself read throughout his entire life.

 _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ , is written on the cover – the third of a series of seven volumes Jake barely knows anything about apart from the fact that his girlfriend loves them and _why_.

He asked her, the night of their six-month anniversary, when he took her out for a night at the New York Public Library.

She was rambling about them and other of her favorite stories with such passion shining in her eyes and he listened carefully to her every word, falling a little more in love with her in the process – even though he hadn’t told her yet, he still felt it running stronger each day in his veins and filling his heart with this new blissful emotion no one ever made him feel before.

“What’s so great about this story of a wizard?!” He genuinely wanted to know.

“It’s an amazing story – you’d know if you’d actually read them,” she teased with a knowing look as she tried (and failed) to convert him for the umpteenth time. Soon though, her face softened and she shared her own tale. “But it’s also because I have great memories attached to these books. Everyone in my family read and loved them, from the very first one. We would buy a new volume on the day of its release and fight over who would get to read it first. Because then we’d have power over the whole house. The power of spoiling the others about what happens.”

Her mouth quirked up in a fond smile at the memory of it. Jake snorted amusedly, his mind blessing him with images of a young Amy and the rest of the Santiagos geeking over this Harry Potter guy.

_Adorable._

Though he wasn’t ready to read them, he of course offered to _watch_ the movies together instead so that he could understand her love better – did so even before they started dating, actually.

But she surprisingly declined and even more shockingly confessed she’d never watched any of them herself and wouldn’t before a while.

“I–… I want to wait until I have children.” He recalls how the tip of her ears slowly turned red in a blush. “I want us all to discover the movies for the first time together.”

And if at the time he found it a little crazy and didn’t quite get it, now that they’re in a relationship – a relationship that’s getting more serious with each new day passing by –, Jake somehow understands the feeling now. If he’s being honest with himself, he even likes the idea a lot and could actually picture themselves and their future kids all curled up on the couch with blankets and snacks, ready for a family movie night of watching Harry Potter for the first time.

Only a few meters away, Amy lets out a small laugh, her full attention still focused on this book she loves so much, and as he stares at her with the most tender smiles, Jake thinks he loves _her_ so much, he should actually finally give them a try.

For her, and the future children he’s starting to hope they’ll have together maybe someday (he surely doesn’t want _their_ story to end – he’s seen what it’s like, a life without Amy in it during these six months spent apart and he knows it’s something he wishes he’ll never have to go through ever again), and this blissful night awaiting them.

Also because he knows for a fact it’d make her happy if he’d get into one of her big interests, and he’d really do anything to make her happy.

“Okay, I’m ready.” The sudden sound of the book closing startles Jake out of his thoughts. Before he knows it, Amy is out of her chair and standing by his side with a loving beam on her face. “Let’s get to bed?” She offers her hand and he only pauses for a second before intertwining their fingers together, letting her guide him towards the bedroom.

He takes a quick look back as they go, at this little room he’s never really cared for before but where he’s probably gonna spend a lot of his free time in the next few weeks.

He’s got seven _long_ books to catch up on, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m actually not 100% sure but I think I remember Melissa talking about how she loves Harry Potter but actually never read the books because she wants to read them with her son, and so the whole “I want to discover the movies with my kids” comes from this lol.


	10. Whatever's Meant to Be Will Work Out Perfectly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy meet up at the airport after not having seen each other for a while. (1x15 Canon-divergence, in which Amy *did* leave the Nine-Nine for Major Crimes and eventually got promoted in another city.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is inspired by [these headcanons](http://startofamoment.tumblr.com/post/183580349591/10-40-jakeamy) Erica / @startofamoment wrote. She’s amazingly talented and has some of the best AU ideas out there and I’m so glad she let me work with her awesome ideas!

He’s just paid for a full bag of snacks to eat while waiting for his flight when Jake hears someone call him from behind his back.

“Jake?!” He hasn’t heard this voice in a (too) long time but still recognizes it right away. The tone is a little hesitant and tinted with surprise but when he turns around and their eyes meet, he can see Amy’s instantly light up. A bright smile forms on his face as well at the sight of his ex-partner and more importantly friend in front of him.

“Oh wow, Ames! What are you doing here?”

To say he’s startled too would be an understatement; it’s been so long since he last saw her.

She takes a few steps forward, pulling him into a friendly hug before answering.  Jake's heart warms up at the feeling of her arms wrapping around his body while his own instinctively fall on her back, tightening the embrace.

Damn, he missed her. More than he thought he did.

(And, to be honest, he'd thought about it a lot. Even after all these years, he still gets nostalgic over their time as partners sometimes, when he looks at the desk opposite his but doesn’t see her there. His ‘new’ partner is fine – really, he doesn’t have much to complain about her; they’ve quickly gotten along and she’s fun and very good at her job but there’s still something missing.

She’s simply not Amy, as Amy is irreplaceable to the Nine-Nine. To him.)

“I was away for the weekend on a police conference. You?”

Her answer makes Jake smile playfully. Of course that's what she was doing here. She definitely hasn't changed a bit – or at least not much. He takes a moment to look at her and study her. Her face is soft as she’s smiling at him, eyes still shining with the apparent joy of having bumped into him. She’s wearing simple jeans and a flowery blouse instead of her signature pantsuits and her hair looks shorter than he recalls it did but all in all, she still looks much the same.

Still absolutely stunning.

“Went to see my sister for a bit.”

At that, Amy's expression changes and her brows furrowed in question.

“Your sister?!” She seems stunned – and rightly so.

Even though they tried as hard as they could to keep in touch after Amy got promoted at her new job and left the city, it’s been years now and their conversations have slowly (and very sadly) turned into a few texts here and there, mostly birthday wishes or happy new year messages that quickly die down after a few exchanges of “how you doing?”

So of course Jake didn’t think about telling her about the shocking news his father shared the previous year at a Thanksgiving dinner: he’s not the single child he always thought he was.

Far from it.

“Hm, it’s a long story.” He brings his hand to his neck, scratching nervously. “Do you… is your flight leaving soon? I suppose you came here far too early, Santiago-stylez? So if you have time, maybe we could catch up and I’d tell you everything about her… and the others?”

Amy laughs, the sound of which sends shivers running down his spine. Another thing he missed: her laugh. More importantly, he missed being the one to make her laugh.

(He was pretty good at it, he has to say. It’s nice to see some thing never change, no matter how long as passed, and he still is.)

“Actually, yes. I do have a lot of time ahead and I’d love to catch up.” She offers him a sincere smile before she goes on, amusement back on her face. “Do  _you_  have time, though? From what I recall, back in the day you weren’t the type of guy who arrives early for anything.”

“Oh yeah, no, still that guy. I would have definitely been late if it weren’t for my flight being delayed. So now I’m actually very early.”

“Great. Just give me a minute then, I need to tell my partner not to wait for me.”

For some reason, Jake’s heart tightens a little in his chest at the mention of another partner – which is stupid, really. It’s completely normal she made new friends and colleagues along the years, people he doesn’t know and most likely will never meet. She probably even met someone – as in, romantic-stylez.

A new wave of pain hits harder in his chest at the thought.

_Was she wearing a wedding ring?!_  The idea occurs to him all of a sudden. He doesn’t think he saw one. But he didn’t really pay attention to that.

Anyway, it shouldn’t matter.

Yes, there actually was a time he thought maybe something could happen between the two of them. But it was so long ago now. She was still living in New York City, and they were still seeing each other pretty regularly. Charles was right. He did like her. Realized it the hard way, coming from the ache he felt after she left the Nine-Nine for Major Crimes despite his desperate attempts at making her stay. 

And yes, there were some times, like when they met at the Boyle-Linetti wedding and shared a weird romantic moment there, he thought the feeling might be mutual and he almost asked her out.

But then she told him about her promotion, about the new city she was going to live in, so far away from home – so far away from  _him_  – and suddenly the possibility of a ‘Jake and Amy’ became vain.

He wasn’t good at doing long-distance relationships.

(Still isn’t.)

He can’t help himself though, and discreetly take a look at her left finger when she comes back, smiling at him and offering to go sit somewhere so they can talk.

_No ring._

He releases a sigh of relief.

“So, how’s everyone at the Nine-Nine?!” Amy barely waits for them to settle down to ask about their common friends and colleagues.

“Good. Everyone’s still here and everyone’s fine. We miss you, though. When are you coming back to see us?”

Amy blushes – he can see it start from the tip of her ears.

“I’m so sorry. It’s been such a crazy year. I passed the Sergeant’s exam and then I just… focused on my new job a lot. But I’ll come back to New York soon, promise. I miss you too. All of you. A lot. And I’m so happy I ran into you today.”

Her features soften as she brings her hand to his and squeezes lightly – she really seems to feel bad and sad for losing touch.

(Not that it's entirely her fault. Jake didn't do better at it. He’s not good at keeping up with people he doesn’t see on a regular basis, unfortunately. His goldfish memory that makes him forget about them be damned.)

(Not that he could truly ever forget about Amy. She’s been there, hidden somewhere at the back of his mind, every day since she left the city.)

(Since she left the precinct.)

But instead of wallowing, he decides to focus on the good news.

“You’re a sergeant now?! That’s awesome, congrats!” He grins, truly happy for her – he knows how important her job is, and how she dreams about making captain someday.

(Being the youngest captain of the NYPD used to be  _it_  for her, even, she confessed on a stakeout when they were still working together.)

(Maybe it still is, and maybe that’s what’ll make her come back home at some point in her career.)

In the meantime, he’s just glad she took a new step towards her goals. Even though it’s not at the Nine-Nine, and he feels a little sad he didn’t get to witness it.

Be there to celebrate with her.

He hates how they’ve drifted apart so much through the years…

“Thanks.” She blushes a little harder, averting her gaze for a second before putting it back on him and god, she’s adorable.

He missed her  _so much_.

One question quickly leads to another, turning into a lively conversation with the both of them updating each other on their lives, joking and teasing each other. Really, it only takes them a few minutes of getting acquainted with each other again before everything feels like years didn’t pass and they never parted ways.

It’s like they’re back at the Charles’ and Gina’s parents’ wedding, drowning into each other’s eyes after Amy pranked Jake into dancing with Gina’s great aunt.

(Not that it was the last time they saw each other. They both went to their ex-captain’s funerals about a year and a half back, but it wasn’t really a place for laughter and friendly conversations – a place where they could simply enjoy each other’s company.)

”They had a divorce, actually,” Jake informs Amy when she asks about them – apparently, he’s not the only one having throwbacks to this night.

”Oh no. It’s so sad. Their wedding was so beautiful! I had so much fun that night.”

”Me too. Especially during that slow dance with Aunt Susan,” Jake jokes, making Amy laugh.

”Oh yeah, I remember that. You two had great chemistry.”

She shoots him a knowing look and grin that makes him snort.

There’s a pause after that, during which none of them talks, staring at the other straight into the eyes. Amy is the first to avert her gaze.

”So, uh–...” She clears her throat. ”Speaking of chemistry and weddings, tell me about you! Are you seeing someone?”

”Nope. As single as ever.” He hesitates for a second before asking as well. ”You? Any Mister Santiago waiting for you at home?”

”No. It’s just me too. I didn’t feel like dating for a while – too focused on my job.”

”Cool. Cool cool cool.”

He can’t help but feel relieved – a little happy, even, if he had to admit.

Jake can feel something switch in the atmosphere between them after that, and not only from his side. It’s like this confession about none of them seeing anyone broke the last wall remaining between them and gave them permission not to restrain themselves anymore.

It starts with small details barely visible to the few people around – more tender smiles, leaning further into each other’s space, bolder flirty banter.

But then Amy laughs – truly lets out a loud, hearted sound at one of his stupid jokes and Jake finds himself gazing at her in pure awe, completely starstruck.

“God, I missed you so much,” he lets the words out loud.

He never wants this moment to end – never wants to have to say goodbye.

Amy’s laughter dies down after that, looking at him with a serious glint inside her eyes mingling with an oh so tender expression.

”Me too.” She takes his hand in hers. “To be honest, I–... I often think about what it would be like, if I’d never left.” Jake looks down at their laced fingers.

”Me too.”

In his fantasies, if she’d stayed after the wedding, he would have asked her out at some point, and they’d be together since. Would have been for a while.

Maybe they would even be married by know?!

Who knows. These are just fantasies. Maybe they would have never gotten together even if she’d stayed.

And anyways, she did leave and the sad reality that followed is they lost touch – only to bump into each other years later at a random airport far away from home.

From  _each of their own, separate homes_.

He knows it’s stupid to have any faith whatsoever, then. And he knows he should restrain himself from leaning towards her as she does the same after silently staring at each other for a full second, his eyes switching between hers and her lips as they get closer. He knows it’s only gonna make things more complicated and hurt harder when they have to part.

Still, it’s like his body is moving on its own. He can’t keep his thoughts straight. Maybe they could somehow make it work? Build a relationship while only seeing each other once in a while? Some people manage that.

So why not them? He could be willing to try that.

For Amy.

Jake keeps leaning closer and she doesn’t seem to stop either.

”Ladies and gentlemen, boarding for flight 969 to New York City with Air USA will start shortly.”

”Dammit! It’s my flight.”

Jake suddenly draws away, before their lips can even brush, and the moment is immediately lost. He’s able to think rationally again and see how bad an idea this would have been if they’d gone through with it and kissed.

No matter how much he wishes he would be right now, he’s not a man for long-distance relationships.

”You should... you should go, then. You don’t want to miss it.” Amy settles back in her chair, keeping her distance with him. She looks a little disappointed in the turn the events took – and, really, he is too – but Jake tries to persuade himself it’s all for the better. She’s barely meeting his eyes as he watches her, hesitant.

He doesn’t want to leave.

Maybe they could build a new life here, in Dallas? He almost offers. But he doesn’t. He takes his bag and starts to walk away.

”It was really nice to see you again.” He stops and turns after only a few steps. ”Hopefully we won’t wait to run into each other next time.”

Amy finally looks up, shooting him a shy smile.

”I'll try to fly to New York soon. I promise.”

He has to fight hard not to just go to her and kiss her goodbye.

Jake dutifully joins his gate, lost in his thoughts and his heart aching the same way it did the first time he went to work and she wasn’t there. The same way it did when she announced she was leaving the city.

It doesn’t get easier with time, apparently. Quite the opposite.

“Sir, can I get your boarding pass, please?”

The stewardess’ voice is what eventually brings him out of his dark thoughts. He watches her, a little astonished for a full second before his eyes land on the paper inside his hand, with the name of the city he’s supposed to be going back to written on it.

He can’t do it.

“I’m sorry, I–… I need to go. Don’t wait for me to leave. Or maybe do. I really don’t know if what I’m about to do is the most romantic gesture or a stupid idea that’ll blow up in my face spectacularly. In this case, I’ll still need the flight.”

He doesn’t wait for the woman to say anything and turns around, going back where he was mere minutes ago, but Amy isn’t there anymore. She probably went back to the colleague she mentioned, he thinks.

It doesn’t stop him. He runs around the airport for a while, looking for her among the crowd of people sitting in the different areas, until he eventually finds her.

“Finally, you’re here.”

“Jake?! Aren’t you supposed to be boarding right now?”

“I couldn’t go.” He wants to say more; he prepared a whole speech in his head during his run but he’s panting right now and has to stop to catch his breath.

So much for a ‘big romantic gesture.’

“I don’t understand. Is there a problem? Did you forget something?” Amy frowns.

“I just... I can’t let you go again,” Jake confesses when he’s finally breathing normally again. “I did it once and I’ve been regretting it ever since. I really like you, Ames, and I really wish we could find a way to make things work between us somehow. Because my life’s never been better than when you were in it.”

“Jake–...”

“I know it’s crazy. But we’re crazy people, right? We see crazy things every day.”

He stops, staring at her with hope in his eyes while trying to read into hers.

The more she keeps silent though, the more the hope disappears and he feels like it was, indeed, the worst idea he’s ever had in his life.

(And he’s had his load of bad ones.)

”So this is why you worked your ass off to get that promotion to New York, uh?!” A man Jake didn’t see before suddenly talks as he looks at the both of them with an amused smile.

”What?!” He shoots him a confused glance before bringing his gaze back on Amy. She offers him a shy smile.

”Jake, this is my partner, Matthew Glenn. Matthew, this is Jake, my ex-colleague from when I was working at the Nine-Nine.”

”Nice to me you, man. I’ve heard a lot about the guy whose shoes I could never fill. Though now I understand why.” He laughs and Jake finds himself even more confused.

”What?!” he repeats, too stunned to form another word. “What does he mean, a promotion for New York?”

”It’s really not official yet, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you anything. But yeah, part of the reason I worked so hard during the past year is so that I could come back home.”

”Really?!” Jake’s eyes instantly light up at the news. Amy’s smile broadens.

”Really. I couldn’t bear being apart anymore either.”

It’s all it takes for Jake to break the remaining distance between them and do what they’ve been interrupted before: he kisses Amy, with a passion equal to the addition of all the years of building up to this moment. They don’t draw away too quickly when their lips eventually part, smiling with their foreheads resting onto each other’s.

“I really liked your speech, by the way. Very cheesy,” she teases him.

Jake laughs.

“What can I say? I’m a true romantic.”

He sees as Amy rolls her eyes and can feel her shake her head.

“Aren’t you going to miss your flight, though?”

”Last call for flight 969 to New York City. Everyone should be on board by now,” a voice announces through the speakers, as if on cue.

It makes them both chuckle lightly. But still Jake doesn’t move.

”Nah, I can take the next one.”

He pulls Amy into another kiss. Now that he found her again, he doesn’t want to ever let go – and the good thing is, he apparently won’t have to.


	11. 'Cause We Know We'll Make it Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS 6x12. Jake and Amy talk about babies and whether or not they should have them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this yesterday night after the release of this new promo but then we got a new sneak peek today so this is not really accurate anymore but oh well lol. This was just me dealing with all the feels it gives me, knowing that THEY’RE GONNA TALK BABIES.

“Happy anniversary, babe.”

“Happy anniversary.”

With a smile, Amy brings her glass of champagne to her lips and takes a sip after clinking it with Jake’s. She takes this moment of drinking in silence to look around them. She has to admit, if it weren’t for the perp currently lying unconscious on the tiny bed in front of her, the place would actually look very romantic – despite being a  _hospital room_.

Jake truly set it up nicely, with fairy lights framing the door and Paris decor behind them as well as red roses he bought for her. There’s also French cheese and baguettes on the table she can’t wait to try. It’s not a real trip to the City of Love nor the dreamy night they had in mind to celebrate one year of married life but it’s still better than nothing and another surprise Jake pulled out for her.

At least they’ve not been sent in two different neighborhoods to work on their own cases. They’re together and truly, it’s all that matters.

_As long as we’re with the right people, we can handle anything_  – she made these vows exactly 365 days ago and still stands by them.

“I can’t believe it’s already been a year Holt married us in front of the precinct.” Jake’s sigh takes Amy out of her reverie and she brings her gaze back on him, chuckling lightly.

“Me neither,” she agrees, a fond smile spreading on her face as memories of the day come back to her. It soon turns into a true grin. “You know what this means, though…” she trails off knowingly but Jake doesn’t seem to take the hint. He simply frowns in return, seeming clueless. “It’s been a year. We said we’d start trying for a baby after a year…”

Amy can barely contain her excitement any longer. She can’t wait for this new crazy adventure with her husband to finally begin – she can’t wait for the planning and binders she’ll have to make and books she’ll have to read and obviously all the sex they’re gonna have to try and get pregnant.

(Not that they need an excuse for that last part.)

Her grin quickly falters though when she looks at her husband and he doesn’t seem as thrilled as she is – as thrilled as he should be. It’s quite the opposite, even. He’s averting his gaze, one of his hands coming to scratch the back of his neck in what she’s come to learn with time is a nervous tic. He clears his throat then lets the words out.

“I know we said that but… D’you think it’s really a good idea?”

This time, Amy’s the one who frowns.

“What?!” She’s confused. This is definitely not the turn she imagined the conversation would take when she brought up the (supposedly happy) topic of their near future and growing family. “But I thought you couldn’t wait for us to have kids? You kept talking about having a mini-me and you running around the house and how cute that would be.”

She clearly (and very fondly) remembers his huge goofy beam every time they would bring up the topic of having children together several times in the past. It doesn’t help her understand his sudden change of heart.

“I know, and I still do want kids, but…” Jake takes a short pause. He leans over to take her hands in both of his, rubbing small circles with his thumbs on their back as he stares deep inside her eyes.

Amy senses she’s not gonna like what he’s gonna say next.

“Look at us. We were supposed to have a quiet night off celebrating our anniversary but here we are, cancelling our plans because we had a job to do. And it’s not the first time this is happening. This is our life. We can be called on duty anytime – both of us. And what about our baby then – who’s gonna look after it?”

“We still figured out something,” Amy answers, a little defensive. She points to their surroundings, part of the surprise  _he_  came up with for her, to prove her point. “We always do. I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy and won’t require a few adjustments, but we’ll find a way to make it work.”

Jake lets out a small sigh. He doesn’t seem fully convinced.

“Okay, maybe we will. But it’s not just that. Look at  _him_.” He points towards the still deeply asleep perp they’re supposed to be guarding. “He’s the one in a coma this time, but it could so easily be one of us in his place – or even  _worse_. Being a cop is dangerous. We’re risking our lives every day. What if one day only one of us gets to go home to our child?”

He squeezes her hand harder in his and she can see the sadness and defeat inside his dark eyes. She can see how much it costs him to say that – how this once selfish detective is now considering putting his own wants and needs behind for the sake of somebody else’s. Somebody who’s not even real yet and might never be, given the turn this conversation is taking.

Because Amy has to agree these are important points he’s raising and things they need to take into account for sure. It’s not something they’ve thought about discussing in their previous discussions about kids. Probably because the simple thought of losing Jake makes Amy want to throw up and she’d rather not let this image wander through her head if she can prevent it.

She already has enough examples of what a life without him would be like, and she knows it’s not something she wants to experience ever again.

“Jake…”

“I know, I don’t want to think about it either.” It seems like he can read her mind. “But we have to. Because it could happen. And if we have a kid, we’re not the only ones who will get affected. I know what it’s like to grow up with a crappy parent who’s never there, and it’s not fun. I can’t begin to imagine the pain of growing up with a parent who’s not there because they got shot and died. At least I could always hope mine was gonna get better at being there for me.”

Amy’s heart clenches a little harder in her chest.

“So what are you saying? That you changed your mind and never want to have kids? Because this situation is not gonna change.” She stares deep into his eyes, trying to see past through him as she dreadfully waits for an answer. She can’t imagine a life without children – without  _Jake and her_  children. And she truly believes they can find a way to make it work and raise a child in a safe and happy home if they gave themselves the means to.

Terry and Charles managed to do it after all, so why not them?

Sure, Terry’s and Charles’s wives aren’t cops like both she and her husband are. But still. She knows several other couples of cops with a family of their own despite their risky jobs – and nothing bad ever happened to them. There’s no reason then they couldn’t do it as well.

“As I said, I do want them. More than anything else. I just don’t know if we  _should_  have them…”

Another pang of pain in her chest.

“Okay.” Amy suddenly stands up with a sigh after a few seconds of thinking. A million thoughts are running through her mind at the second. She paces around the room before she stops still in front of Jake, who’s watching her curiously. She has an idea in mind. “Should we have kids. That’s the issue, right? Now let’s debate. See the pros and cons and go from there.” It’s the only way she knows how to deal with this.

(It takes a bit of time, some reassuring testimonies from their two dad friends and a lot of long reflection about what would be best for a possible future child but in the end, they manage to come to an agreement: they are ready indeed and will overcome any possible obstacle life might throw at them in the future. Together. As a family. They  _can_  – and  _will_  – do it.)

(And, as part of the final celebration of their first anniversary, they start trying as soon as they reach their bed back home.)


	12. You Make My Heart Feel Like It's Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers 6x12.
> 
> “January 6th. It was the coldest night of the year and you put socks on my feet as I slept. You never even took credit for it.”

**January 6th, 2019.**

Amy’s already asleep when Jake walks into the room after a long day (and night) at work. He takes a moment to stop and look at her, a small smile forming on his lips at the sight she offers.

They might have been married almost eight months now, and been together much longer than that, he still can’t get over how cute she looks tucked under the covers in her worn-out NYPD T-shirt she uses as her pajamas. He takes off his jacket, eager to get changed and join her as soon as possible. As he’s taking off the rest of his clothes and finds himself shirtless for a few seconds, a cold shiver runs down his spine. Even with the heater on, the air still seems to be somehow chilly inside the room – chillier than usual.

(It  _did_  feel like it was extremely and unusually cold outside during the very few minutes he had to walk from his car to the apartment.)

He hurries even more then and quickly slips under the covers to seek some warmth. Once comfortably settled there, he turns so that he’s facing Amy, and another grin comes curving up the sides of his mouth as he watches her lovingly. It seems like he managed not to wake her up despite the noise he made while getting ready for bed.

He leans over and presses a soft kiss at the top of her head.

“Goodnight, babe,” he says in a whisper.

She hums in her sleep and instinctively curls up against his side, her feet coming to rest against his legs. He startles at the touch.

They’re  _frozen_. He didn’t expect that.

Sure, by now he’s become used to her being always cold and seeking some of his body heat when they’re lying in bed but it’s never been that bad. It’s nothing he can warm up by himself and if it hasn’t already, he’s pretty sure it’ll wake her up at some point. And she won’t like it.

That’s why, despite the really comfortable position he’s in and his eyes already shutting with exhaustion, he forces himself off the bed and goes straight to their closet without a second thought.

Jake immediately finds what he’s looking for as he goes through his wife’s stuff (it surely helps that, unlike him, Amy has a very methodical way of tidying up her clothes) and takes out a pair of warm, clean socks. He hurries back to the bed and takes a glance at her before making another move – she still doesn’t seem the least bothered by his walking around.

He stands at the edge of the bed and removes the covers a little, showing her bare feet and puts the socks on them, careful not to wake her up.

She lets out an unconscious, yet sounding very satisfied sigh that makes Jake smile. He doesn’t waste any more second after that as he joins her under the covers again. There, he finally closes his eyes, fully ready to let sleep take over his body now that he knows his wife is warm.

(Amy still wakes up in the middle of the night but it’s not because she’s feeling cold – it’s quite the opposite even. Her feet are weirdly warm and feel like they’re covered with socks she clearly remembers she did  _not_  put on before going to bed. She looks down just to make sure, and the socks are there indeed. Which can only mean one thing: Jake did that.

She turns around to look at him and a soft smile spreads across her face as her heart warms up too at her husband’s sweet gesture. It’s something so simple yet so thoughtful and adorable, it might as well have taken the #1 place of her favorite moments in their relationship.

(And she has  _a lot_  of them.)

 _Damn,_  she loves him so much.

She quickly lies down again, wrapping her arms around his middle and letting her head rest in the crook of his neck as she cuddles against him. Her smile is still there on her lips when she closes her eyes, lulled back to sleep by his quiet and even breathing and his body heat immediately warming her up even more.)


	13. Past the Clouds, We'll Find the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6x12 Canon-divergence, in which the bomb does blow up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao this episode gave me so many feels my inspiration’s on fire :’) I have *at least* one more fic coming up based on it, which this time will be nothing but fluff, promise. Because this one is more angst haha as if the episode wasn’t sad enough…

There’s a small detonation, then nothing but complete and deafening silence only broken when realization hits Amy.

“ _JAKE!”_ she cries as she watches, helpless, glass shattering from the window of the room where her husband was stuck in and dark smoke now coming out of it.

Without a second thought, she rushes towards the hospital building.

* * *

If there’s one thing Amy learnt from guarding a comatose perp all night, as well as other cases of her having to deal with unconscious people in the past, it’s that they look just like they’re asleep.

Jake makes no exception.

She remembers the first time she got to watch him sleep.

It was an early morning back in her first years as a detective at the Nine-Nine. She’d come in early and found him lying on the break room’s sofa, trying to get some rest after a night spent working on a case. She remembers how she stopped at the doorframe and a small smile curved up the corners of her mouth at the sight. He seemed so peaceful then, a huge contrast to his usually very energetic – sometimes almost manic even – attitude. Part of his face was buried into the pillow and he looked angelic. A few strands of his messy curly hair were standing up at the top of his head and she suddenly felt the urge to smooth them down.

Of course she didn’t – partly because she didn’t want to wake up him but mostly because it would have been weird. They weren’t even that close yet at the time.

She also remembers the first time she got to watch him sleep as she was lying on the bed next to him; the first time she could stare without fear of getting caught. It was on the morning after their first date, during which things started to heat up after 4 kamikaze shots and she urged him to take her to his apartment (the closest to the restaurant) despite their ‘no sex right away’ rule.

As she was looking at him, smiling in his sleep and taking most of the space on the mattress, she didn’t mind breaking this rule at all.

She brought her hand to his hair and smoothed the messy curls down, met by a satisfied – yet still sleepy – sigh coming from his mouth at the touch.

She knew at that moment she was screwed.

If it wasn’t for the constant (and very nerve-wracking) ‘bip’ of the pulse monitor by his side and the ugly burns on his face as well as the tube going inside his nose, the whole scene could easily look like they’re at home, on one of these many mornings since their first one together she wakes up before him.

But this is not one of these mornings – she’s not just waking up herself, as she hasn’t slept all night. And Jake is not simply sleeping – he’s unconscious, after finding himself stuck in a room where a bomb literally blew up hours ago, killing both Pam and the perp they were guarding on its way.

But not Jake. Somehow, he survived. Doctors said he’s lucky he did. They also said he’ll be even luckier if he ever wakes up. Amy laughed when they told her that.

“He will wake up,” she answered, her voice firm and utterly convinced of her words. “He has to. I booked us a trip to the waterpark for our anniversary.”

As if death cared about vacations.

Truth is, she was in too much shock to think coherently.

Now though the news has sunk in and her heart is hurting at the bare thought of losing Jake as she watches him sleep, her cheeks soaked in desperate tears and his cold hand wrapped in both of hers.

(Usually, _her_ body is the cold one he has to warm up with his natural heat.)

He’s been in numerous life-threatening situations in the past and so did she, and both of them are used to trips to the hospital for a reason or another – but it’s never been _that_ bad. And it never occurred right in the middle of a fight (or rather a ‘devastatingly sad conversation,’ as Jake put it himself earlier).

She’d never forgive herself if some of her last words to him were to be something she blurted out in the heat of the moment about _starting over_ with somebody else.

She doesn’t want to be with somebody else (and technically, that’s what she told him, but still) – she only wants him, now more than ever.

She _needs_ him to wake up.

(Sure, they still need to talk about kids and figure something out because she means it when she says she’s always seen herself having children but presently it feels like it can wait a little longer.)

Amy doesn’t really know how it went down like this but for sure this ‘casecation’ has turned into a complete ‘casemare’ very quickly and unexpectedly. What she’d give to go back to the beginning of the night, when they were having champagne and listing their top #5 moments of their first year of marriage with laughter and complicity…

They never even got to pick their favorite one.

“There were so many,” she says out loud, talking to Jake, then starts listing a few – the time they put on matching clothes without planning it, the time a very cute and still so in love elderly couple walking hand-in-hand around the park hailed them and told them they reminded them of themselves, the time he silently grabbed her hand and shot a reassuring smile at her when the elevator of their building acted like it was going to stop working and they were gonna get stuck there, the time he surprised her with a fully cooked dinner without burning anything _nor_ making any mess in the kitchen…

She has enough stories to last for a lifetime. And it’s only been _one_ year.

_Every single day that I get to be with someone as amazing as you is crazy to me._

She sobs-laughs at the memory.

Suddenly though, Amy’s cut in the middle of her ramblings by the small pressure of Jake’s hand moving inside her own. Her heart starts pounding and when she looks at his face, she sees as his eyes are blinking until they fully open and meet her own. A pang of relief washes over her whole body at the sight of him staring back at her.

He quickly averts his gaze to look around though, scanning the place.

“What happened?” His voice is hoarse and the words seem painful to let out when he faces her again.

“You got taken in the middle of an explosion…” Amy doesn’t really want to go too much into details and relive what was probably the worst moment of her entire existence.

There’s a short pause after that, until something switches inside Jake’s eyes as if memories are coming back to him.

“How are the others?!”

Amy opens her mouth but nothing gets out at first. She squeezes her husband’s hand harder inside her own, trying to gain some courage.

She knows he’s gonna get crushed over the news and probably blame himself for not being able to save them in the end.

“They… didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” he simply lets out before silence takes over the room. It’s awkward and heavy and Amy wants to say something – anything – to lighten the atmosphere.

Jake beats her at it.

“There’s only one bomb that could kill me.”

“What?” she frowns, not sure she understood what he said.

His gaze fixates on her, staring deep into her eyes with an intense gaze before he blurts it out. “Your butt. Your butt is da bomb.”

And just like that, the atmosphere switches – Amy chuckles through her still falling tears and her heart explodes with love for that man and relief that he’s safe and sound. She leans over and kisses him as an answer, making sure to keep it tendre not to hurt him with the pressure of her lips against his. For just a second, it’s like nothing that happened during the past evening ever existed.

“I love you so much,” she whispers when they part. “I was so scared I was gonna lose you.”

She strokes his cheek softly and he smiles at her.

“Me too.”

Amy can read in his eyes he’s not talking just about the bomb, but also the rest. She’s about to say something when the door opens and someone comes inside, interrupting the moment.

“Oh my God, Jake!” Without a warning first, Karen rushes towards their sides – she looks absolutely terrified and devastated. “Are you okay?!”

“I am, mom. Don’t worry.” Jake shoots her a reassuring smile before exchanging a knowing glance with Amy.

“I’m gonna get some coffee.” She doesn’t want to leave her husband’s side but she’s not the only one who worried about Jake – Karen deserves some time with her son as well. She’ll be back by his side in no time.

At least, she tries to remind herself, she’s leaving him awake and as well as he could be after being caught in the middle of a bomb explosion.

* * *

Amy’s back in the room exactly 30 minutes later, unable to wait for one more minute away from Jake.

It seems like he and his mother are in the middle of a conversation, that stops the moment she passes the door. She doesn’t linger into it too much though, her eyes searching for his. He shoots her a reassuring smile when they meet.

Karen turns around to face her and smiles at her too before she stands up from the chair Amy herself had called her own the whole night as she worriedly watched her husband sleep and prayed for him to wake up soon.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” The older woman shoots her son a knowing look, kissing his cheek as a goodbye. She squeezes Amy’s shoulder when she passes by her. “Keep me updated.”

Amy simply nods in return. She doesn’t waste any more second to claim back her seat as soon as her mother-in-law leaves. She scans Jake’s face carefully.

“You okay?”

“Everything hurts,” he winces, making her own heart hurt for him as well. “But I’ll survive,” he quickly reassures her.

Silence fills the room for a beat after that until Jake breaks it. He reaches for her hand and stares deep into her eyes with a shy glint shining inside his own.

The look on his face makes Amy frown.

“About last night…” he trails off. “Me not wanting kids…”

“We don’t have to talk about it now,” she cuts him off before he can say anything. There’s already a new weight forming inside her chest at the mention of their potential future children. “We should just focus on you getting better right now.”

“I know. But I want to talk about it now. I’ve been thinking – well, mostly I’ve been listening to my mother talk – and… I do want to have kids. With you.”

He squeezes her hand with a smile and her heart instantly melts. This is not the turn she thought this conversation was going to take – and though she’s thrilled he did, she doesn’t understand what made him change his mind so quickly.

“You’re not scared anymore?!”

“Oh no, I still am. Maybe even more so now with this reminder of how risky our job can be and how if we have a kid, this kind of situation would affect them as well. But my mom made me see that being scared isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s even a good thing – it means we care and we’ll want to do better. Did you know my father was the one who was the most certain about having me?!”

Amy’s features soften at his words, heart literally pounding in her chest with happiness. They’re gonna have babies. Mini Jake and her running around the house. And she’s pretty certain they’re going to have the best dad ever.

“But…” Jake adds before she can reply with anything. “Can we wait a bit before starting trying? I’m not sure I’m quite there yet.”

“Of course!” She immediately agrees. “Only when we’re both 100% ready.” She softly caresses his arm, smiling at him, and he shoots her a grin.

They spend the rest of the morning already brainstorming baby names.

(Next time they find themselves in a hospital room for more than a little injury, the places are reversed: Amy’s the one in the bed with Jake by her side, carefully holding Atlas Peralta, 19.3 inches and 7.6 lbs. as they finally welcome their baby into the world after hours of labour.)


	14. Para Tu Amor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake wants to surprise Amy by learning Spanish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol i’m 2 weeks late but here’s my take on jake learning spanish after this lil line we got from ‘the bimbo’!!
> 
> all thanks too @meepmorpperaltiago for all the help with it xx

He takes his first class shortly after their wedding.

They’re at Amy’s parents’ when the thought of learning occurs to him, celebrating their union with her whole family (which has officially become _his_ too, now) the way they should have on the D-Day. He’s sitting on the sofa with one arm around her shoulders and his free hand holding a glass of champagne when two of her aunts take a seat next to them and interrupt their quiet conversation.

One of the two older ladies grabs Amy’s hands, squeezing them in hers and starts talking. Jake can tell from the tone of her voice and the way his wife’s face softens with every new word she lets out that she’s saying something nice and sweet but he couldn’t tell what it is exactly. Because she’s speaking Spanish; a language he unfortunately doesn’t speak himself.

He did pick up a few words throughout the years – mostly curses, which Amy sometimes lets out under her breath when she’s tired and frustrated as well as a few words of love he’s caught her whispering against his skin when she thinks he’s asleep and can’t hear her anyways. He adores the melody of it, especially coming from her mouth.

There’s this one lullaby he knows as well, from the many times she sang it to him after he came back from prison and used to wake up in the middle of the night all sweaty and panicking from another nightmare. She would hum it to him while holding him tight and softly stroking his hair until he eventually fell back to sleep in her safe arms, lulled by the soothing sound of her voice.

But that’s all he knows, and it’s clearly not enough to follow a conversation in the language. He’s used to this kind of situations by now; used to being left behind from time to time during family gatherings with the Santiagos. Even though usually, it happens when her parents want to judge him or her brothers want to tease him.

Which doesn’t seem to be the case here. And for once, Jake wishes he could understand what this woman is saying so that he could get all flustered by her words as well.

That’s why he makes the mental note he’s finally gonna start learning. _For realz_ this time.

Because he already meant to do it in the past, when he was about to meet Victor Santiago for the very first time. He thought he could impress him this way. He dutifully downloaded Duolingo, meaning to use the app every night before bed, but ended up barely ever opening it. It wasn’t his fault if it was right beside Kwazy Cupcakes on his phone – the game was far more appealing than the little green owl.

(He ended up deleting it altogether after a few weeks, annoyed by its passive-aggressive notifications guilting him about not using it enough.)

This time though, if he’s gonna do this he’s gonna do it right. He’s gonna go through with it. He’s gonna take classes.

As in, go back to school and all that stuff he thought he was done with forever.

(Damn, he really loves Amy _that_ much.)

He’s a Santiago now – better live up to the name.

Jake doesn’t tell Amy right away. He knows she’d be absolutely _thrilled_ to help him learn Spanish and really, it’d be more fun that way, but he wants it to be a surprise. He wants to see the look on her face when her family says something in the language and for once he doesn’t have to ask for her to translate – better even, he can _answer_ them.

She’s gonna be so stunned and proud of him. Probably a little horny as well.

( _Hopefully_ a little horny as well.)

(He doesn’t think about it at the time, but when the time comes for them to have children, he’ll definitely be happy to have learnt the language so that he can help raise their daughter – and her future siblings – to be bilingual as well.)

He’s coming home from his 9th lesson when he finds Amy asleep on the couch with a small blanket draped over her body and some Netflix documentary playing on the TV. The sight of her, so adorably curled up with head comfortably lying against a pillow, instantly brings a fond smile to his face. He quickly takes off his shoes and jacket and hurries to her side, crouching in front of her.

There’s a strand of her hair hiding part of her face; he gently places it back behind her ear then presses a soft kiss at the top of her head.

“Hola, mi amor,” he whispers softly, his mind still thinking in Spanish after the class he just took – although he’s still in the early process of learning and thus doesn’t know that many words just yet. He takes advantage of his wife being asleep to keep practising a little. For once, _he_ can be the one saying words of love to Amy when she can’t hear him and not the other way around.

He brings a hand to her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. She reacts to the touch with a small satisfied hum that makes him smile and settles further into the couch.

“Lo estas todo,” Jake remembers this sweet sentence his professor used as an example to show him the difference between the verbs ‘ser’ and ‘estar’.

(It’s one of the rules he has the hardest time to understand, if he’s being honest.)

“It’s ‘eres’.” Amy’s voice is so low at first, barely a mumble under her breath, Jake almost thinks he imagined it. But then she opens her eyes, wide and watching him curiously. “Jake? Were you speaking Spanish?” She startles up, suddenly wide awake.

 _Dammit_ , he thinks. He was sure she was deep in her sleep.

“No! Why would I speak Spanish? You know I can’t speak Spanish!” Jake tries to deny it, on the defensive, but the look his wife gives him in return tells him she’s not buying it at all. He sighs, defeated. “Okay, maybe I was speaking Spanish. And maybe I wasn’t out with Charles tonight either…” He decides to completely come clean now that she caught him – there’s no need to lie anymore.

Amy frowns.

“Where were you, then?”

Jake lets out another sigh.

“It was supposed to be a surprise. But I’ve been trying to learn Spanish lately. Been going to night classes and stuff.”

“Oh, mama…” Amy’s eyes instantly light up – she’s surprised indeed, but that’s not it; they’re also shining with adoration and… some _lust_ , even. “You are?!”

He rolls his eyes in mockery, chuckling at her reaction.

(Seems like the news _definitely_ makes her horny.)

“Yep. Actually, I got my first grade today.” Jake is quick to play along, talking in a suggestive voice and raising his eyebrows as he speaks. “And not to brag, but I did pretty well. Wanna look at it with me and help correct my mistakes?”

She makes another little squealing noise, staring right into his eyes with still the same glint in hers – although intensified now. “You’re the love of my life. You know that, right?!” she blurts it all out so suddenly.

It makes Jake laugh (although inside, his heart does nothing but melt – she is his, too) as he takes her answer as a yes.


	15. One Step Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy get married on the Brooklyn Bridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the proposal Canon-divergence, I present to you the wedding Canon-divergence lol!
> 
> It’s just that ever since they did that B99 podcast and Dan talked about how one of the ideas for the wedding was to have Jake and Amy getting married at the center of the Brooklyng Bridge, I’ve had the image in my head. So I wrote it.
> 
> Literally nothing happens here, but I had to haha so well, enjoy maybe :’)

In the midst of the storm, there’s finally light.

Or at least, metaphorical (and artificial) light, as the sun has set a long time ago, making space for the night and its characteristical darkness to take over. The sky above is a mix of dark blue and black, dabbed with occasional clouds bringing some paler shades to the picture it draws. 5:30 pm has long since gone on this fine day of May 15th, and Jake and Amy still aren’t married.

_Yet._

“You sure you wanna do it here?” she asks through the phone, her eyes fixed in front of her trying to make out his silhouette in the middle of the crowd of people standing on the other side of the bridge. Despite the lights of the police cars blocking the way that are blinding her, she can still easily recognize him. His bright white shirt stands out from the other officers’ otherwise dark uniforms.

(How he managed to keep it clean and pristine is a mystery, knowing him and after the day of running around the city they had.)

“Amy Santiago, I would marry you any time, any place. Plus how cool is it to get married on the Brooklyn Bridge?” His voice is as confident as ever. He’s standing so far away from her that his face comes out blurry to her eyes but still, she can tell he’s grinning.

A soft smile forms on her own features. “Okay, then. Let’s do this.”

“I’ll see you in the middle.”

Amy takes a deep breath as she hangs up and puts her phone away. She takes a second to look around before she starts walking. Gina and Rosa are here by her side; they knowingly nod at her when their gazes meet. The huge buildings behind and in front of her are all illuminated – life is still running at full speed out there on the shore, even this late at night, while it seems suspended up here above the water.

It’s a weird, yet much-welcomed contrast to the bustle of what was going on here barely an hour ago. Of what is normally going on here every day.

Indeed, the usually very packed way in front of her is empty, except for Captain Holt standing in the middle of the bridge and waiting for the two fiancés to join him on the made-up altar.

This is not what they spent months planning.

This is somehow  _perfect_.

Amy takes a first step forward and, on the other side of the bridge, Jake does the same. Her heart is pounding in her chest but it’s not out of fear or possible second thoughts. It’s out of love for the man standing across the bridge, getting closer and closer to her with each new step they take towards the center – towards one another.

It’s out of excitement and eagerness to finally be reunited with the love of her life after such a long and tiring day, and this for the rest of their existence.

They’ll finally be able to seal this promise of a lifetime.

Part of their squad is standing behind him, just like she knows the other part is standing behind her as well, following short to get closer and enjoy the ceremony. But Amy doesn’t pay them any attention – it’s like all the lights of the bridge, of the whole city even, are bent down on Jake, and Jake only.

The rest doesn’t matter.

“Hey, you.” They eventually join each other on the altar. Jake’s smile is as bright as the stars above. (As bright as the lights on the bridge.) “You look beautiful,” he says softly. His eyes are scanning her, up and down, shining in the dark of this quiet night. The dress she’s wearing is not the one she chose – it’s not even hers – but it is beautiful indeed.

And she does look absolutely stunning it in.

“Thank you.” She can feel the upcoming blush burning the tip of her ears and upcoming tears prickling in her eyes.

A beat passes, during which none of them loses sight of the other, until Holt speaks up when everyone’s settled around them.

“We are here today to celebrate the wedding of Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago…”

In the midst of the storm, there’s finally light, as Jake and Amy seal their union with a kiss under the calm Brooklyn sky after such a chaotic day they had.

And as they part, eyes still stuck on the other and a smile full of adoration and pure awe, it’s clear they wouldn’t have had it any other way.


	16. She's the Rope that Holds Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake tells Caleb all about Amy while in prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is inspired by Caleb’s “How’s Amy?” in the finale, showing that Jake talked to him about her while in prison!
> 
> This might be the last of the fics I’ll write inspired by season 6 (or not haha, maybe new ideas will come to me during this long hiatus ahead of us). But in the meantime, thanks a lot for all the nice comments you left on my fics during this season, here or on Tumblr, it means so much to me <3
> 
> (And PLEASE, if someone knows which song this title comes from, please tell me. The song that comes up when I’m writing down the words in Google isn’t the one I’m looking for, and it’s driving me crazy not to be able to find it again :’))

At first, he doesn’t talk about Amy.

To be fair, he doesn’t talk much at all, no matter how hard his cellmate tries to make conversation. It’s a rare sight, a quiet Jake Peralta.

But that’s what being wrongfully accused and sentenced to prison does to him. He doesn’t talk and wallows in his misery.

And when he does let out a word or two, it’s not to talk about Amy. It’s not that he doesn’t think about her – because he does. All the time. She’s with him, inside his mind, following his every step.

She’s even here when he closes his eyes and haunts his dreams.

But he doesn’t talk about her. It’s just too painful.

“Is that your wife?” She’s one of the first things Caleb asks about when Jake arrives and hangs up the two pictures he was allowed to bring with him above his new tiny bed.

The words sting hard, piercing right through his core and shattering his heart in millions of little pieces. He has to fight for the tears not to stream down his face, never stopping.

“She’s my  _girlfriend_ ,” he corrects after taking a deep breath. He doesn’t linger on the topic – doesn’t let his cellmate know of the small box hidden somewhere in one of his drawers back at home.

Doesn’t talk about his plans of asking her to become his wife indeed, and how they’re up in the air now that he’s in prison for who knows how long.

(Up to  _fifteen years_  if his colleagues don’t find a way to innocent him and Rosa.)

It’s best, for his own sanity, not to think about it. Not to talk about Amy.

“She looks sweet,” Caleb comments and Jake simply nods with his eyes stuck on the pictures.  _She’s the best,_  he lets out a desperate sigh.

(It’s better he didn’t know at the time his cellmate is  _cannibal_  who could have most possibly talked about how  _worth eating_  she seems. Jake would have never mentioned her name ever again otherwise.)

After a while though, he starts befriending him. Tells himself they’re the same – likes to think Caleb’s just another cop wrongfully accused of his doings. The guy’s nice and supportive.

And Jake could use some company.

So he starts opening up to him, and talks about Amy.

Once he starts talking about her, he never stops again. He manages – most of the times not even on purpose – to bring her up in almost every conversation they have, no matter what it’s about.

_Amy told me that,_  he explains when he tells his cellmate something smart.  _I watched it with Amy!_  he recalls as they recommend each other movies.  _Amy would have loved this joke,_  he pouts when Caleb doesn’t always understand his sense of humor.  _I’m seeing Amy in three days!_  He wakes up happier when visiting day draws nearer.

_I miss Amy,_  he lets out the most, with a desperate sigh.

Not a day goes by without him bringing her up at least once, and he misses her more with each new passing day.

This is how he gets the idea, during another of his sleepless nights spent staring at the wall beside him and the pictures hanging there. She’s  _the love of his life_  – that he’s known for quite some time now, although it’s only since the fine day of April 28th he decided he’ll finally act on it. And if he was planning on doing so earlier, would have he not been found guilty for this crime he and Rosa didn’t even commit, all of a sudden the Halloween heist seems like the perfect occasion. It’s always a night full of surprises and events nobody can see coming.

And what’s more surprising than a proposal?

He’ll have to think about the specifics, but one thing is sure in his mind as soon as the thought crosses his mind: somehow, he’ll have to find a way for them to be alone in the evidence locker when midnight strikes. Amy will have to believe she just won the heist yet another year – only to realize it’s something else she won (hopefully, at least).

It’s clear to him he’s gonna propose right where their story started – right where he, as Jake Peralta and not his Johnny persona, kissed her for the very first time.

(And what a kiss it was.)

(Damn, he really misses the taste of her lips.)

It truly helps, thinking about all of this. It gives him a purpose; something to hold on to and not give up on hope.

(It also hurts every time his mind goes to darker places during some of his worst days, though. It tries to persuade him he’s not gonna be out in time to put his plan into action, and that despite her promise to wait for him, if he really stays locked in there for fifteen years she’ll get tired at some point and it’s somebody else she’s gonna marry. He’s gonna rot in there and die alone.)

(But then he sees her for the first time after three weeks, and she pulls him into the tightest hug and it’s all it takes to tame his inner demons. He listens to her talk, his eyes switching towards her empty hands on the table and starts picturing a ring shining right there on her left finger – the same ring that’s waiting for him to take out of its box and give to her back at home.)

Caleb seems genuinely enchanted by the idea as soon as he hears it. He gets so invested even, he quickly brainstorms ideas for Jake’s proposal plan too. Both of them can spend hours working on it, sitting in the library and thoroughly writing everything down in details.

Jake’s not the only one to never shut up about Amy then – Caleb is too. Even though he only knows her through her boyfriend’s stories.

(He’s grateful his cellmate never brings up the fact he might very well still be in prison by the time Halloween 2017 comes around – and the next ones as well, up until Halloween  _2032_. He’d go crazy otherwise.)

It only makes sense then, when their paths cross again about two years later, that the first thing Caleb asks Jake about is Amy.

_“How’s Amy?”_

_“She’s great! We’re married and she’s a Sergeant now.”_

Both these things happened more than a year ago but still, telling  _Caleb_  about them does something to Jake’s heart. Talking with and about ex-inmates remind him of a time that still haunts him sometimes and he’d rather forget forever. It brings him back to when he was facing an uncertain future – when he’d wake up each morning not knowing when he’ll get to do so with more than just a picture of the woman he loves by his side but her true, tangible body. It’s all resolved now, though; thankfully.

Almost two years after he got released from prison, he knows what the rest of his life looks like. And it looks just like  _Amy_.


	17. With the Ghost of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy has a breakdown while going gift shopping for Gina’s baby shower during Jake’s time in jail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I might have a thing for prison angst lmao.
> 
> Anyways, this is a gift for @kamekamelea’s birthday (or simply @kamelea here), hope you’ll like it love and again, thank you for everything <3

Amy Santiago isn’t one for doing things last minute.

On the other hand, she almost always finds a way to be ahead on every task she’s given. She loves making plans, and binders, and her organization skills have earned her a lot of great reviews from her teachers back when she was still at school – and even after that, from her different bosses. It also allows her to be on time everywhere she goes, or to never miss a deadline.

Today though, for one of the rare times in her life, she’s running late. And she can’t even blame it on a problem at the bank – this is all her fault. She has to be at Gina’s baby shower in less than two hours and hasn’t bought a gift for her or the future baby yet. She’s been postponing the moment until the last minute. And she doesn’t even have a list to go by that could save her from having to think about what the future mother would want. Because unlike she would have done on any other occasion, she hasn’t even started to  _think_  about it yet.

(For her defense though, she hasn’t thought about much else than  _how to innocent her boyfriend and best friend_ _and take them out of jail_  for the last few weeks.)

It’s weird, to be honest, how Gina didn’t make a list. Amy was actually expecting for her to send her some suggestions after she told the squad about the baby shower, followed with a witty comment about how she wasn’t going to like her gift otherwise. But she didn’t.

She didn’t make a list, and she didn’t make fun of her either.

In fact, she hasn’t made fun of Amy in a while now. And even though she should be happy about it, she actually hates how Gina seems to have turned softer on her. She hates it, because she hates the reason why – hates that it’s all because she has enough on her plate already to add to the fire, with her boyfriend being locked behind bars so far away from her.

She’d trade Gina’s kindness for his freedom in a heartbeat.

Said boyfriend is also the reason why she waited for so long before heading to the store and buy something, actually. He’s missed on so many things already, Amy couldn’t bear the thought of him missing another one – she couldn’t bear the thought of her going to another event without him. So she postponed the moment, over and over, holding onto the hope he’d be free before the baby shower happens. Holding onto the hope they could go gift shopping  _together_.

The fact that she’s currently all alone in a toys store is nothing but the painful reminder her hopes were in vain and Jake’s still very much in prison.

She and the rest of the squad are still nowhere near finding anything to innocent him and Rosa.

Walking through the different units is hard, especially as she passes by several happy families with excited children and adoring parents. It reminds her of her own uncertain future. Reminds her how much she wants to have kids someday and how it might never happen now if Jake does have to remain behind bars for the next fifteen years. They haven’t even had the time to talk about babies yet – and maybe they won’t ever have the chance to.

(It’s better for her mental health if she tries and doesn’t think about it.)

Her breaking point comes when she reaches the stuffed animals’ section of the store, though. Among the different bears and horses and hippos and literally any other animal a child could dream of, stands a shark that looks painfully familiar. It looks just like her boyfriend’s own stuffed animal, which used to be put away in one of their drawers since he moved into her apartment and is now shamefully lying on their bed. Amy holds onto it every night as she falls asleep, catching her tears as she breathes into what remains of Jake’s scent after one of the worst days.

It’s nothing like  _his_  presence next to her on his side of the bed, nothing like  _his_  body to wrap her arms around and cuddle, but at least it’s better than nothing. It’s a little soothing.

It reminds her of him.

It reminds her of the first time she saw the toy and teased Jake about it – and how offended he looked when she dared to make fun of  _Jaw-n McClane_ , as he called it.

(She rolled her eyes at the name despite the small burst of laughter she let out.  _Of course_  he’d call it that.)

He’d be the one teasing her now, if he knew she can’t sleep without it anymore.

A quiet sob escapes her throat at the thought. She can feel the panic attack creeping upon her, eyes stuck on the shark as she can’t take them away from it. The tears quickly come, falling down her cheeks and soon become unstoppable.

_God, she misses him so much._

She thought she’d reached rock bottom when he was away in Florida but this new terrible situation they’re stuck in is starting to prove her wrong. Her heart has never hurt so bad.

“Are you alright, Ma’am?” A voice takes her out of her desperate trance. She startles as she turns towards where the sound came from and finds herself with one of the staff’s members standing beside her. The younger girl is looking at her with sympathy and worry in her eyes. It’s only then Amy realizes how loud her breathings have grown and how her hands are slightly shaking. She brings one to her face to wash off the salty pearls and nods at the girl reassuringly.

“Yes, I… I’m sorry. I’m okay.” She sniffs, trying to regain some composure. She can feel the tip of her ears burning; she’s ashamed of the ‘scene’ she just made in the middle of the store.

“You sure? You don’t need anything?” The girl doesn’t seem convinced by her words.

“No, thanks.” Amy manages a half-smile. “I just… I need to go. I’m actually late for something. Thanks,” she repeats. She doesn’t wait for an answer to run towards the exit door.

She needs to get out of here. She needs some fresh air or she’s gonna suffocate again.

Her eyes are puffy and red from having cried too much when she eventually makes it to Gina’s baby shower thirty minutes after the agreed-upon hour, with no better gift than a poor envelope with some cash in it but nobody makes any comment about any of those. And this time, Amy is grateful for her friends’ consideration.

(Next time she steps foot in a toys store again to buy Gina’s baby a gift, little Iggy is born and well and Amy’s not alone anymore – Jake is with her, trotting around the different units like an excited child. She watches him do with a huge grin on her face and her heart warm in her chest. Her future isn’t uncertain anymore.

The ring that’s standing out on her left finger and the promise of forever attached to it are a good testimony of what the next – many, hopefully – years of her life are about to look like.

Full of joy and unmitigated love.)


	18. Of Look-Alikes and Baby Talks (And a Concert)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy, Jake, Charles and Genevieve go to a The Lonely Island concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t mind me, sometimes I write weird things lmao.
> 
> Also shoutout to the person who came with this headcanon of Charles thinking Jake and Jorma look alike – I can’t find the post again to properly credit it but all credits go to this person for the idea!

“You’ve got to admit there’s something there. You guys look just the same!”

For the umpteenth time that night – and even before that day – Charles gets closer to Jake so that he can hear him through the loud music of the concert playing in front of them. It’s a gift he offered him for his birthday; two tickets for a live show of The Lonely Island in Brooklyn, for him and Amy to go on a ‘double-date’ with the Boyle-Mirren-Carter couple. Jake has been a fan of the comedians for a while now and introduced them to Charles a few months ago.

He quickly regretted it though, because ever since that day, Charles hasn’t stopped insisting he and one of the members of the band – Jorma Taccone’s the name – look just the same.

Which isn’t true, according to Jake (and pretty much everyone else in the squad when the other detective tried to seek other people’s approval).

“We have  _nothing_  in common, Charles!” he denies once again.

He doesn’t bother looking at his best friend as he speaks, eyes stuck on the stage where the three artists are currently singing one of their hit songs,  _The Creep_. Now more than ever, as he gets to see him with his own eyes, he’s sure the two of them are completely different.

“Well, I didn’t see it either but now…” Amy trails off in a teasing tone. It makes Jake turn his attention towards her –  _how dare his own wife betray him?!_  She lets out a small chuckle. “In this outfit, he kinda reminds me of you when you dressed up as a pervert with Kevin,” she mocks and he gasps.

When he glances at the stage, Jake can see the three men behind The Lonely Island band standing still and smiling creepily at the crowd as the song just came to an end. He still can’t see any resemblance between the two of them, even when wearing his own disguise and weird moustache.

He wants to argue but before he can muster a single word, as if on cue, Jorma starts talking. It cuts Jake short in his will to defend himself.

“Alright, you guys know what time it is. Get your hands in the sky, everybody! Who wants a T-shirt?”

Previous conversations are suddenly forgotten as the three colleagues and Genevieve put their hands up as an attempt to grab one of the T-shirts thrown at them. It doesn’t take them long to get caught up in the little game.

“Ah-ha! I got one and not you!” It’s Jake’s turn to tease Amy with a huge grin and daring look on his face when he grabs a T-shirt almost immediately while she doesn’t.

She simply shakes her head in return.

“Just a quick disclaimer on the T-shirts, you guys: there was a bit of an issue with the printer, so these are all blank,” the artists warn.

It makes Amy laugh. “Wow, what an amazing gift you grabbed, babe.”

“You’re saying that because you’re jealous.” He holds tighter onto the piece of clothing. No matter what, he’s still pretty proud of himself for this ‘prize’ he won.

“There’s a little bit of a sizing issue as well: if you catch a T-shirt, it’s either gonna be a quadruple extra-large or a baby onesie.”

This time, it’s Charles who reacts to the words. Indeed, it’s all it takes for him to forget about the game and turn his full attention to his best friend. He stares deeply at the small white T-shirt folded inside Jake’s arms. It makes him frown in confusion.

“Which one did you get?!” Charles asks. There’s a hopeful glow shining inside his eyes that’s visible even in the dark of the room.

“Uh… A baby onesie, I guess.” Jake shrugs – it’s too small to be anything else. He doesn’t really get why the other man is acting so weird, though. Especially when he squeals at his answer.

“You know what they say. Whoever grabs a onesie, gets a baby within the year…” He gives Jake and Amy a knowing look.

“Nobody says that,” Jake is quick to correct him.

For once though, he doesn’t feel as annoyed as he might have been in the past every time Charles implied he and his wife should have children. To be honest, it’s quite the opposite – as he lets his eyes wander onto the small piece of clothing, a dreamy smile comes curving up the corners of his mouth.

His smile only grows bigger and fonder when he looks at Amy. Some kind of understanding passes between the two of them.

They’ve been talking about babies a lot, lately – ever since they first mentioned it during their ‘casecation.’ Even more so after Amy made him believe she was pregnant during their annual heist and his heart literally exploded with happiness before he learned this was just a ruse. He realized then he might have been more ready to be a father than he previously thought he was.

They’re still not actively trying yet, though. They’re doing this step by step, planning things first. It’s an actually very exciting process, which helps Jake relax a little more every time the baby topic comes up between him and his wife. The more it goes, the more ready to welcome a third member inside their little family he feels.

So yes, learning she’s pregnant before the end of the year sounds like something truly appealing to him – to the both of them, if he’s to trust the expression on Amy’s face as they keep looking at each other.

They don’t tell Charles, though. They’re too afraid he might faint right there in the middle of the theater if they do. But for once, they hope he and his made-up phrases are right.

(Which turns out they are, in the end, as Amy  _does_  get pregnant before the end of the year after both of them decide it’s time to try for good once they’re home from the concert and put away the little onesie Jake won.)


	19. A Little Boy, A Little Girl (Laughing and Loving)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x13 Canon-divergence, in which Amy overhears Charles telling Jake he likes her.

Amy takes a deep breath as she walks towards the table where Jake and Charles are currently sitting. She can feel people’s eyes on her as she passes by them, probably judging her hideous outfit.

She lets out a sigh, ignoring them. Tonight is going to be a long night, she can already tell. She knows Jake, so she’s ready for the worst. He was only teasing her back then, but she knows at least half of what he threatened her with the whole week  _will_  be part of their date. She’d rather be at home doing the crosswords puzzle of the day in the warmth of her bed. But she can’t.

Because, as much as it pains it to admit, she lost a bet. And now she has to pay the consequences of her loss.

She keeps her eyes fixed on her colleagues while she goes through the crowd of Shaw’s patrons. She tries to find comfort in the fact that at least, she’s not the only one looking ridiculous tonight. With his suit jacket and cheap pair of shorts, Jake is making quite a show of himself as well. And he  _chose_  to dress like that, when  _she_  didn’t have a choice.

(She knows he only did so to embarrass her, but still.)

She’s only a few feet behind her friends when she hears her name being called. “… Somewhere down deep, you like Amy. Like,  _like her_ , like her.”

It makes her stop in her tracks in shock. For just a second, her heartbeat quickens in her chest with the words. She’s so close to the pair, she could easily make her presence known, but does nothing of the sort. Somehow, she’s curious as to what Jake has to answer to this. His back is on her so she can’t see his face.

“Okay, that’s straight-up insanity,” he’s quick to deny.

It hurts Amy a little, that it seems so impossible for him to have feelings for her. It’s not like she would make the worst girlfriend.

(Not that it matters, anyway.  _She_  doesn’t have feelings for him and could never imagine herself in a relationship with someone as immature as he is. But still.)

She takes another step towards them, trying not to take all of this too personally. But then Charles talks again, making her stop again.

“How much did you spend on tonight?” He doesn’t seem to let go so easily.

“1,400$.”

Amy lets out a small gasp as her eyes grow bigger, then quickly puts a hand on her mouth to cover the sound. Isn’t he supposed to be in  _crushing debt_?! Why would he spend so much on a stupid bet, then?!

(It’s  _Jake_ , a voice inside her head reminds her. It really shouldn’t surprise her he’d invest himself in the joke as much as he apparently did.)

“But all of it’s on credit cards, so it’s like, 5$ a month for the next 2,000 years.  _I DO NOT LIKE AMY!_ ” His tone rises higher into the air with the last sentence. It startles Amy, and the determination with which he says those words makes her heart ache once more. She gets it. She’s not his type. No need to sound so offended about someone implying she could be.

“You’re putting a lot of effort into a joke. Why don’t you sit down and have a real conversation with her?”

“Okay, Boyle, you live in your ex-wife’s new boyfriend’s basement. I’m not taking advice from you.” He sounds upset now. Amy takes it as her cue to step in.

“Hey.” She comes to sit by their sides, trying to act casually with a small smile to her friends as she joins them.

“Oh, Amy, we were talking about you,” Charles says.

He shoots Jake a knowing look, who only shakes his head and rolls his eyes in return. She acts as if she can’t feel the heavy atmosphere weighing between the two men.

“Yeah, we were talking about how we wish you’ve been exercizing lately, because it’s  _dance time_ ,” Jake quickly changes topics, though. He shoots her a teasing grin, amusement clearly shining inside his eyes.

As he makes her stand up to join the center of the bar, she already knows whatever he’s got in mind, she’s gonna hate it.

He’s fun as a friend, but yep, it’s clear for Amy she could never  _like_  him romantically either.

_Oh, and there is one more rule. You’re not allowed to fall in love with me,_  she remembers his words from earlier.

_Won’t be a problem,_  she said in a jaded voice. She already follows rules to a fault, but this is one she’s pretty sure she’ll never struggle not to break.

(Or at least, that’s what she tells herself.)

* * *

Jake doesn’t like Amy. Charles doesn’t know what he’s talking about – he’s the worst when it comes to love. He thought something was going on between them from  _a shake of hands_ , for god’s sake.

His judgment is not to be trusted, then. Especially when he’s high on ‘truth’ drugs, or whatever it is that makes him openly tell everyone what’s going on inside his mind.

Amy’s his friend, and that’s what she’ll always be for him.

And yet, for some reason, his colleague’s words keep resonating in his mind the whole night – as he spins her around in front of a cheering crowd and she tells him that  _she hates his guts_ ; as they stop by each of their apartments to change clothes for something more work-appropriate and he finds himself staring a second too long; as she recalls her worst dates with him and he thinks h _ow dumb are these guys for acting like this on a date with someone like_  her; as he tells her all about his Mustang and why he loves it so much and she  _remembers_  he’s in crushing debt.

As he throws a nut to her and she misses it, resulting in the both of them happily laughing together, his heart warm and full in his chest.

_Why don’t you sit down and have a real conversation with her?_

“Hey, uh, I was wondering…” Amy’s voice brings him back to reality.

As he looks at her, Jake can see the amusement that was there only mere seconds ago has now turned into seriousness.

She’s barely looking at him, clearly nervous and hesitant. She tucks her hair behind her ears – it leaves room for him to see that the tip has turned a shade darker in the beginning of a blush.

He would usually find it cute but right now, it kind of makes him getting nervous too, frowning in confusion. What is it that she has to ask him?!

“What did, uh–… what did Charles mean, when he said that you might like me?” She eventually manages to meet his gaze.

It’s a good thing Jake’s not eating any nut right now. Otherwise, he would have chocked on it. Of all things, he didn’t expect  _that_.

“You heard us?!”

“Yeah, I was on my way back from the bathroom when he told you that.” She shoots him a sheepish smile. Her blush deepens, now coloring her cheeks.

Inside his chest, his heart is now pounding but still, Jake tries to remain casual.

“Oh… Well, you know how he is. We met and he already pictured us married. So you can guess what me and you going on a ‘date’ does to him.” He forces a laugh.

_Why don’t you sit down and have a real conversation with her?_  his best friend’s voice comes back louder into his brain.  _This is your chance, dummy,_  another – his own?! – joins him.

“I guess it makes sense.” Amy answers. She doesn’t seem too convinced by his explanation, though. She even looks a little… disappointed?!

“But, uh–… maybe he’s not completely wrong, this time,” he says the words before he can fully think about them. He regrets them the moment they are out as Amy stares intently at him.

“What do you mean?”

He nervously scratches the back of his neck. This is a tricky situation he put himself in. Because he can’t possibly take what he just said back, can he?! Just pretend that nothing happened.

(He’s been pretending long enough, though. Pretending that Charles was wrong. Pretending that he doesn’t like her. Fooled himself into thinking he did  _not_  have feelings for her, when he clearly does.)

Jake clears his throat, trying to regain some composure before he talks again.

“Do you want to go on a real date, sometimes?”

Amy remains silent for a beat as she studies his face. It seems like she’s trying to tell if he’s being serious or not, with her eyes on him. As the seconds pass and she still hasn’t said a word, Jake starts to think he made a big mistake and Charles is truly  _not_  to be trusted when it comes to relationship advice.

He’s about to open his mouth to say something when she finally answers.

“Why not.” She smiles at him fondly. “At least I know you will let me eat dessert,” she jokes and his heart warms up in his chest.

“It might even be all that we get to eat. Y’know. Because of the  _crushing debt_.” He shoots her a knowing look and they laugh together.

_Yep, this feels right,_  he can’t help but think as he watches her with a grin and happiness creeps upon him.


	20. To Be Drunk and in Love in New York City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy bet on who is going to invite Hitchcock and Scully to their bachelor/ette party.

“Ready to lose, Peralta?!”

Amy turns around to glace at her fiancé with a daring look shining in her eyes and a confident smirk lighting up her face, a dart in her left hand.

“Oh, yeah. I’m ready to  _watch_  you lose, Santiago,” Jake answers in the same tone and mischievous grin as he rests his chin on his clenched fist to emphasize his words.

He couldn’t tell who got the idea of starting a game of darts during one of the squad’s nights at Shaw’s. All he knows is that an hour ago everyone was here, having drinks and chatting happily while now it’s only he and Amy playing against one another and feeling  _very_  competitive.

Especially now that they’re nearing the end of the game, with just one last dark to throw to determine who’s the best between the two of them.

And, more importantly, to determine who’s gonna have to invite Hitchcock and Scully to their upcoming bachelor/ette parties.

If Jake won the first round (unfortunately for her, 3-drink Amy and her constant need to dance weren’t too compatible with such a game), Amy beat him – and by far – during the second round. Indeed, 4-drink Amy, or best known as Pervert Amy, does  _not_  restrain herself when Jake’s around – even more so since he proposed to her, he recently noticed.

She perfectly knew how to distract him with the right words whispered against his ear or a discreet squeeze or slap of his butt when he was about to throw his dart, then. No need to say he missed all of his shots.

Jake tried to argue it was unfair and she cheated but Amy insisted with a suggestive wink there was no rule preventing her from using her charms. She left him with no choice but to surrender.

It’s her turn again now, and she’s just downed her fifth drink – meaning she’s utterly confident she’s going to win this last round and thus the entire game.

“I’m the best shooter of the entire NYPD,” she (barely exaggeratingly) brags as she focuses back on the dartboard on the wall opposite her. “This, in comparison, is a piece of cake. I’m gonna  _crush_  you.”

She looks at him, something dark and daring while letting out the last sentence. Despite the stakes and his own involvement in the game, Jake can’t retain the fond smile that forms on his lips as he watches her.

_Damn, he loves this woman so much._  He still can’t believe he’s going to  _marry her_  in just about a few weeks now. He’s for sure the luckiest person alive.

He can feel his heart warm up in his chest at the thought.

_“Dammit!”_ Amy’s frustrated voice rising into the air takes him out of his reverie. It makes Jake frown at first but then, when he glances at the dartboard and sees her dart stuck on the wall, his curious expression soon turns into a joyful one. A small laugh escapes his mouth as he looks at her and the pout that formed on her face.

(She’s  _adorable_.)

“Nice job, Santiago. If the game was to hit anything  _but_  the board, I’d say you might be winning,” he teases as he stands up to throw his own dart. “But remind me what the  _actual_  rules are again?”

She lets out a sigh and glares at him, clearly not amused. It only makes Jake laugh more.

“Shut up. You haven’t won yet.”

Amy takes his place on the booth, crossing her arms over her chest. He still catches how the corners of her mouth quirk up a little despite herself.

“Oh but I will. Have fun at your bachelorette party with Hitchcock and Scully!” he says in a challenging tone, then puts his full attention on the dartboard in front of him.

His shot is nothing impressive but still better than Amy’s –  _his_  at least ends up somewhere on the board, making him the winner of their game indeed.

“Ugh.” He hears her annoyed grunt before he turns around to brag about his victory to her face. The words remain stuck in the back of his throat when he sees her grab his beer in defeat, though.

“Babe, I wouldn’t do–…” He tries to stop her, but it’s too late. She’s already downing what’s inside the small bottle – seemingly all in one gulp. “…  _that_ ,” Jake finishes his sentence as she puts the drink back down on the table.

“Go ahead. Brag all you want. You’ve earned it.” She watches him in the eyes as he takes a seat by her side and she accepts her defeat.

Knowing he still has a few minutes before the effects of the alcohol kicks in and 6-drink Amy, aka. Sad Amy takes over his fiancé’s mind, Jake doesn’t wait for Amy to tell him twice to oblige.

“Thank you, babe. I think I’ve earned it too. Because, guess what? I  _won_.”

* * *

“That’s unfair. I always lose everything,” Amy whines, her head hidden in the crook of Jake’s neck as he holds her close.

It’s been a good ten minutes since her 6-drink counterpart took over, and he’s been trying to calm her down since. He smiles a little at her words.

“Hey, that’s not true.” He lifts her head up a little, so that she can look at him while he talks. She shoots him a curious frown as she stares deeply at him. There are a few tears prickling inside her eyes and even though Jake knows it’s only the alcohol talking, he can’t help but feel bad and for his heart to clench in his chest. He truly hates seeing the love of his life being sad.

“Everything I’ve won so far are the things you  _let me_ ,” she says accusingly.

“Again, wrong. There are plenty of things you won on your own. You crushed your sergeant exam, for once. And remember Halloween, 2 years ago? You definitely won this one all by yourself. And it was a pretty dope win.” He shoots her a knowing smile, trying to be reassuring. Amy’s face lights up a little at that, and Jake counts it as his own personal victory. “And you know what else you won?” he goes on, motivated by her seemingly positive reaction.

She shakes her head, clueless.

“My heart.” He brushes the ring on her left finger with the hand that’s holding hers to emphasize his words. “And isn’t  _that_  the biggest prize of all?” His smile turns into an amused grin.

It’s probably the cheesiest thing he could say, but he doesn’t really care; especially when he hears a small giggle finally escape Amy’s mouth and it echoes through the now almost empty bar.  _That_  was his main goal.

(Plus, it’s completely true. She  _did_  win his heart indeed.)

“Jake, this is so corny,” she seems to agree with him.

She’s still smiling slightly, though, and doesn’t seem like breaking into tears like she was only mere moments ago.

Jake laughs. “What can I say? Being an engaged man changes you.” He nudges at her knowingly.

Amy’s face softens at the mention of their future wedding. It’s shining brightly in the dim light of the bar. He catches how her smile grows bigger – fonder, even. 

She takes her hand away from his to gently cup his cheek.

“I can’t wait to marry you,” she says in a soft voice full of love.

“I can’t wait to marry you too.”

Jake then leans in to press a small kiss on her mouth. “Mrs. Peralta,” he whispers with a smile as they part, lips still close and foreheads touching.

“Santiago,” she corrects. “I’m keeping my name.”

Jake slightly draws away to better look at her as he speaks. “Should I take yours, then?  _Jacob Santiago_ …” He pauses for a second to think. “Does it sound good?” He seeks for Amy’s approval, watching her intently. Suddenly, something switches inside her eyes and a new spark comes flashing in there.

Jake knows it means she just got an idea.

(He can’t help but feel relieved the effects of her sixth drink seem to have completely washed off by now.)

“Well…” she trails off for a little suspense. “I guess we could judge that with another bet,” she shoots him a daring, knowing smile.

It doesn’t take long for Jake to get on board with the idea.

“I guess we could, yeah.” They’re both grinning as they shake hands.

(In his chest, Jake’s heart warms up a little at the thought that he  _definitely_  found his right person – his  _perfect match_. He can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with her, and live a life full of love and joy and fun and endless bets to win, he can only imagine.)


	21. Just to Be with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early in their relationship, Jake wants to surprise Amy by picking her up at the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is random and probably not really good but I wrote it so… here it is haha!

Maybe Jake should feel a little worried about how fast his heart is racing in his chest as he waits for Amy to come back home.

He’s both nervous and excited, his palms getting sweatier with every new minute he spends standing alone in the airport, unable to stay still. He can’t help but wonder if surprising her like this was the right call to make, finally. Last time he meant to surprise her with something, after all, it backfired spectacularly – ending with the most awkward breakups of all times.

Plus she’s only been away for a few days. And it’s only been a few weeks since they started dating, too. So maybe it’s too soon for such grand gestures – especially coming from someone who used to search for the cheapest dates to take a woman on and who’s never been known to be the King of Romance. Somehow though, when it comes to Amy, Jake finds it’s easier to make such plans.

He’s missed her a lot, during these past 96 hours of being apart and barely getting a chance to talk. It’s not his fault if they very quickly fell into a routine of sleeping at each other’s apartment almost every night and thus soon got used to each other’s presence in their lives outside of the precinct almost every day. The idea came to his mind rather naturally, then, when she told him all about her flight’s schedule. He didn’t really think about it – nor did he think it through.

He said he would be working at the time her plane lands in New York City, all the while already making a note inside his head to ask Holt for his day off.

Which he did right after their conversation ended.

Really, he should freak out about how she makes him feel, so early in their relationship. Yet here he is, waiting for her with a bouquet of what Rosa told him once are her favorite flowers. He’s never felt happier than since he started dating this woman he pined for for so long and does well intend to make it work.

He might not be good with emotions and voicing them, but Jake is still a man full of resources and ideas – and decisions taken on an impulse.

He just hopes this one will be part of his brilliant ideas, and Amy will actually like having him here.

His phone ringing inside of his jeans’ pocket suddenly takes him out of his spiralling thoughts. He frowns when he sees who the caller is.

_Amy Santiago._

Jake quickly cans the place with his eyes – if she calls, it means her plane has landed, and yet nobody’s walking through the gates.

“Hi Ames!” He tries to keep it cool but can’t help the cheerfulness in his voice when he picks up, nor the smile that instantly forms on his face. Only the excitation remains now that he realizes he’s going to see her soon. “Aren’t you supposed to arrive in only like,” he looks at the clock above him, “half an hour?”

(He surprisingly came here _early_ , just in case her flight would be too.)

“Yeah, I guess the plane I told you I was gonna take will…” she trails off. Jake instantly loses his smile and all his worries come rushing back into his mind.

 _What does this mean?!_ he can’t help but wonder. Did something happen, did she miss her flight? But he quickly dismisses the thought. It’s Amy.

There is _no way_ she missed her flight.

“What do you mean?” he asks, then.

“I think we got the same idea.”

He can hear her laugh softly through the device. It helps him relax, although he still doesn’t get what’s going on. “What idea?”

“I’m already home. I took an early flight. I wanted to surprise you at the precinct, but Charles told me you’re not working today and you’re supposed to pick me up at the airport.”

“Oh.”

Mixed feelings take over Jake as the news weigh in. First, he’s relieved to know his idea wasn’t so stupid and it wasn’t too soon after all, since she apparently got the same. He can’t help but feel a little disappointed too, though, that she beat him at it and he didn’t get to surprise  _her_. He was eager to see the look on her face when she’d pass the doors and see him standing there with a welcoming grin and his bouquet of flowers.

Most of all, he’s hit by a huge wave of warmth at the thought of Amy coming back early from her trip at her parents’ house so that she could surprise _him_. (Because she was missing him, too?)

“I’m sorry I ruined the surprise.” She talks again when he doesn’t say another word. “It was really nice of you to do.” Her voice is soft and sincere and even though he can’t actually see her, Jake can tell Amy’s smiling as she speaks. It makes him smile too. A new wave of warmth and fondness for his girlfriend overwhelms him.

“Ah, it’s okay. I guess it makes us even. I did ruin your surprise too.” He lets out a small chuckle, soon reciprocated on the other end of the phone.

A few seconds of comfortable silence pass between them.

“How was your flight, by the way?”

“I’m heading back home now,” Amy says instead of answering his question. “Wanna meet me there? For realz, this time, so that I can tell you all about it?”

“I’d love that,” Jake immediately agrees.

“Great. See you there then.”

He rushes out of the airport the second he hangs up. When he knocks on Amy’s door about forty minutes later, his flowers don’t look too good anymore and there’s no hint of surprise glowing in her eyes, but it doesn’t prevent Jake from grinning at her and for a rush of happiness to come coursing through his body at the sight of her. She’s wearing comfortable sweatpants and her hair is still a little wet from the shower she most likely just took and yes, he _did_ miss her a lot.

(He _likes_ her a lot.)

“Hi,” she greets him with a smile as bright as the one he’s sure he’s currently wearing on his own face.

“Hey.” He echoes her words. Then hands her the flowers. “Sorry, they looked better earlier. Don’t think they liked the way back from the airport too much. I don’t know. I’m not good with flowers,” he apologizes.

Amy lets out a chuckle as she grabs them. She shakes her head but Jake can see how her eyes shine while she takes a look at them. She quickly brings her gaze back onto his, though. “C’mere.” She invites him in.

She barely waits for the door to close behind him to close the gap between them and press her lips onto his. It might have only been 4 days since he last kissed her, the gesture still sends a rush of bliss running down Jake’s spine. He wraps his hands around her waist, now that both his hands are free.

“I missed you.” Amy’s the first one to acknowledge it when they part. She’s looking at him with a content smile on her face and her forehead resting against his.

It takes Jake a few seconds to reciprocate the words (he might be able to come up with sudden grand gestures, he’s still learning to open up more about his feelings and actually _voice_ them). “I missed you too.” He _does_ mean it when he says it, though – for sure he missed her.

He can see Amy’s smile broaden at that as she eventually draws away.

“So, you’re not working _at all_ today, huh?”

“Nope. Not at all. I’m all yours.” He grins at her knowingly.

“Great.” She shoots him a matching expression that makes his heart miss a beat in his chest. He can’t wait to spend the whole day just the two of them.

(Maybe Jake should feel a little worried about how being reunited with Amy somehow feels like _he_ ’s the one who just came back home, but he doesn’t really care right now. As he lets her head him towards her living room, all he can think about is how lucky he is to have her in his life – and how glad he is for her to finally be back from her small trip out of town.)


	22. Would You Let Me See Beneath Your Beautiful?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3x01 Missing scene (or canon-divergence, your choice), where Amy finds a scar on Jake’s body as they’re back in his apartment after their date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge huge huge thank you to @kamelea for proofreading this and giving me ideas to make it better. You’re the best!
> 
> Also, this is another fic inspired by a “fanfic tropes mashup” request @stars-my-darling asked for on Tumblr: scars + sick/injured fic.

Everything goes just fine, at first.

No,  _great_ , even.

The touch of Jake’s hands on her body, eagerly yet somehow so sweetly discovering her body for the first time sends shivers running down her spine as they stand in the dim light of his small apartment. When his mouth leaves hers after exchanging another searing kiss, it’s only to set down on her neck. Amy closes her eyes to better appreciate the feeling of his lips pressing against her skin.

A small moan escapes her – for sure she doesn’t regret breaking yet another rule with him.

The remnants of her 4-drink counterpart make her own touches bolder, and her kisses more passionate, yet Amy’s sober enough to know what she’s doing and, more importantly, to know she wants  _this_. She made sure Jake knew that too when she suggestively asked him to take her to his place and he hesitated, reminding her of the rule she herself came up with earlier that day.

_Let’s not have sex right away._

It was a dumb idea she got, she realized soon enough as she ordered 4 kamikaze shots for herself back at the restaurant.

So everything goes just fine –  _great_  – heavenly well until Amy starts working off the buttons of Jake’s blue shirt, soon making it join his jacket and her heels already discarded on the floor.

She takes a moment to take him in, her palms flat on his now bare chest. She can feel his heart beating loudly under her hands – it makes her smile smugly as she looks up at him.

 _She_  is the one who makes him feel like this, she can’t help but think proudly.

(Truth to be told, in her own chest, her heart is beating just as fast with excitement and anticipation.)

But then as she lets her eyes fall back on his body, she’s stopped still in her movements when she sees  _it_. A red scar, partially hidden under his chest hair. It doesn’t seem too old, nor does it seem to have healed so properly, leaving a very obvious mark where it stands. Amy’s no doctor but she’s seen enough wounds in her life as a detective and sister of seven reckless brothers to know that 1) this is definitely a knife wound, and 2) it clearly hasn’t been taken care of professionally.

For a moment the excitement is gone, replaced with worry as she ever so gently traces the scar with the tip of her finger. Her eyes are stuck on Jake’s chest, unable to look away from it. Even though she can’t see his face, she can still feel his body tense under her touch – and not in a good, agreeable way. A heavy silence falls upon the room as he holds his breath and Amy tries to recall where he could have gotten this.

Even though it’s been a while (not that she counts the times she did, nor did she paid it too much attention when she saw him), this is not the first time she’s seeing him shirtless.

As partners in the field for years now, they’ve learned to know each other rather intimately whether they wanted it or not. Plus she still has this one pic he sent her while being drunk the previous year, of him eating Chinese chicken salad on the subway platform – only as a way to blackmail him if needed, of course.

The quality of the pic wasn’t too good, and she hasn’t seen it in a while, but Amy is sure if he’d gotten the scar back then she would have noticed.

So it must have happened after that. Still, she can’t remember a time recently when he got injured on a case with her or the squad had to visit him at the hospital for a knife wound. And then again, there is  _no way_  this wound has been treated in a hospital anyway – or the doctor who took care of it was a complete amateur.

She can’t recall him ever talking about getting hurt at all, which is weird in itself. Knowing Jake, he’s more the kind of guy to brag about how he defeated death and show his ‘dope’ scars to everyone.

This is when it finally hits Amy. Jake was gone undercover for six months. With the mafia. The probability he injured himself there is very high, then. And it’s a time he never talks about.

Well, it’s not true – he did say a few things here and there after he came back, still likes to remind everyone from time to time about this  _awesome_  mission he got assigned to, but overall he never went into deep details. Nobody’s sure what he actually did and saw there because he always remains vague every time someone asks him then quickly changes topics.

It definitely seems like no matter how he tries to make it look like something amazing and light, a dream job become true, it’s all in fact just some dark times he’d rather not think about too much – or at all.

Amy’s heart tightens in her chest as she keeps her eyes and finger on the scar and imagines Jake, injured and alone having to leave his health and  _life_  in the hands of some criminals.

She knows it’s not her fault and there’s nothing she could have done but somehow, she feels the guilt creeping up on her – the guilt of not having been there for him.

“How’d you get this?” she can’t retain herself from asking, despite everything. She tries to remember their getaway weekend at Charles’s ex-wife’s beach house – probably the last time she saw him shirtless before tonight when everyone shared a moment in the hot tub together – and if he had it back then. All she can recall though is how 4-drink Amy, back when she was silently pining for him, couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to run her hands through the bare skin of his body as she was staring at him hungrily. He was sitting right in front of her and she silently thanked Holt for asking to turn off the jets as it gave her a much better view of him this way.

(If she wasn’t so worried about him right now, she would definitely relish in the fact that she  _does_  know what his body feels like under her touch, now.)

For sure she was too drunk to think clearly and notice anything else than how good-looking he was with a few droplets of water falling down his chest. It would be no surprise then that she missed the scar at the time.

When she looks up, she finds Jake staring at her with a mix of a little pain and something else, something  _softer_  and  _fonder_  that takes over the rest the moment their eyes meet. He gently removes her hand away from his chest and kisses it lightly. For a beat she feels better, chills running down her spine.

He brings his mouth to her ears and whispers softly. “Happened when I was undercover,” he says what she already guessed, then presses a kiss there. “Just some sexy scar I got while being out there saving the world,” he tries to joke but Amy knows better – this is his signature reaction for when a conversation turns too serious for his liking. It doesn’t amuse her, then.

She doesn’t have the time to say anything in return because his mouth finds hers right after, before heading south towards her neck and the spot he found earlier that she likes so much. It’s clear he wants to distract her from her question and worries and just wishes to go back to their previous, more fun activities rather than dwell in his past.

To be fair he almost succeeds, as Amy closes her eyes and lets the warm feeling overwhelm her just for a second before she opens them again.

Jake can probably tell he won’t get away with this so easily and she can’t take the thoughts away from her mind because, after one last light kiss and a sigh, he draws away to meet her eyes with his.

“It’s all fine. I swear.” The softest of smiles comes lighting up his entire face as he talks to her and gently strokes her arms in reassurance.

Amy takes a second to stare at him. One part of her brain tells her she should ask for more and make sure he  _is_  fine indeed – it’s too important a matter to let it be as it is. She doesn’t want to force him to share things he doesn’t feel like sharing with her, though. This is not her place to do so. Jake will tell her all about it when he wants to –  _if_  he wants to. Plus his hands on her make it hard for her to stay focus, with her whole body begging for him to touch her further.

The way he looks at her, so fondly, doesn’t help either.

“Okay.” She eventually relaxes under his touch as she shoots him a small smile. 

This is no one-night stand – Amy wants this relationship to work, and it seems like Jake does too, so they will always have later to talk about this scar. For now, she simply pulls him in for a kiss. It’s very sweet and tender at first, completely different from their previous exchanges but quickly heats up as Jake’s hands fall from her arms to her waist and they start over where they stopped in the discovery of each other’s body.

(In the end, this night becomes one of the  _best_  Amy’s ever spent in her life. As she falls asleep with Jake’s head resting on her chest and the covers of his bed wrapped around her, she  _definitely_  doesn’t mind breaking this particular rule. This was no mistake at all, they both agree on that.)

(It takes a little longer for Jake to fully open up about what truly happened while he was undercover with the mafia but when he does, the both of them lying in the intimacy of her room with just the moon outside as their witness and bringing some light in, Amy’s there listening to him every step of the way and making sure he knows he’ll never have to go through such things alone.

He’ll have her by his side.)


	23. Hanging by a Moment Here with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2x23 Canon-divergence, in which Jake and Amy find themselves locked up in the kitchen freezer back at the restaurant after they go check on Augustine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who doesn’t love writing some cliché trope instead of her very important thesis lol? (:

He makes her laugh.

She’s not so sure how he does it, but even under the worst circumstances, Jake still manages to make Amy laugh.

She should be freaking out right now – they’re  _locked up_  in a  _freezing_  room, two of her least favorite things in the world – and yet here she is, unable to retain the small chuckle that escapes her mouth at her friend’s current shenanigans. Instead of the upcoming panic attack that threatened to unload after Augustine broke their cover and pushed them inside the kitchen freezer of the restaurant they’d all been eating at, it’s a warm feeling that’s now taking over her whole body.

She laughs, the sound of which resonates through the thick walls while a small puff of cold air forms in front of her.

Jake’s arms are wrapped around her shoulders, stroking them and holding her close to his chest. The intimacy is new as they’re literally sitting on the floor and  _cuddling_  but none of them seems to complain about it – if anything, Amy is grateful for it as it helps her stay relaxed and keeps her from getting hypothermia. Her entire being is heating up at the simple touch of her partner on her, heart pounding in her chest and cheeks burning in a blush.

“I like your laugh,” Jake slips out as he watches her with a soft beam covering his face.

It takes her off guard, said laughter quickly dying down and leaving space for some deafening silence to take over the small room.

“Sorry, that was awkward.” He looks away as he removes one of his hands from her arm to scratch behind his neck. “But earlier you said I make you laugh, and I just–… I don’t know. I like the sound of it.” He shrugs, finally daring to bring his eyes back on her. What she can see in them then is quite overwhelming – he’s staring at her with such intensity and  _awe_ , like nobody else has ever done before, it makes it hard for  _her_  to look at him now.

Of course she remembers telling him that. She remembers damn well how she took the very deliberate decision to let Jake know of the truth, when he had made it clear he had feelings for her again.

 _There’s no-one else’s opinion who I care about more than hers,_  he admitted in return – and her heart melted at the words, full of sincerity too this time.

“Well, thank you. I meant what I said, y’know. You do make me laugh a lot.” She shoots him a small, reassuring smile as she finally talks. Somehow, in this dark and quiet place and stuck in such an intimate embrace, she finds it easier to talk about her feelings.

The smile soon reciprocates on Jake’s features, but he doesn’t say anything in return.

Amy studies his face for a moment, so close to hers she can actually feel his hot breath against her skin. Her eyes dart down towards his mouth before she can stop herself; her mind can’t help but take her back to when it crushed against hers in an unexpected kiss earlier. Right before their cover blew up spectacularly and they found themselves in this (terrible) situation. 

She would lie if she’d say she hadn’t thought about what his lips would feel like, before this day. Actually, she’d thought about it more than she would care to admit.

And even though it took her a beat to realize what was happening and properly answer to his assault, once she did and she let the feeling of Jake’s hands on her body and his lips moving against her own overcome her, she momentarily forgot about where she was.  _Who_  they were supposed to be.

As in, Johnny and Dora, this fake engaged couple  _she_  had come up with in the first place.

Not Jake and Amy, these two colleagues and friends who’d been pining for the other in turns for more than a year now.

Just like their personas were, this kiss was nothing but a cover for the job they had to do but damn, did it felt and tasted  _real_.

Amy knows she’s the only thing left standing between playing pretend and a true relationship with Jake. They’re both single, and she knows he wants it, because he told her so.

_I was kind of thinking about asking you out._

Deep down, she knows she wants it too. Yet she rejected him again over stupid fears and possible awkwardness and rules she made for herself –  _I don’t date cops_. Jake is so much more than just a cop, though. He’s her partner, her friend, the first person she thinks about when she needs to vent about something with someone. He’s funny and caring and kind and smart and overall amazing.

And  _he makes her laugh_.

(And he likes said laugh. Her heart warms up just at the thought of it.)

Of course he has his flaws – just like everyone does –, and sometimes he drives her absolutely crazy, but at the end of the day she knows she can count on him. She’s been doing so for a few years now, as her colleague and partner on the field. More importantly, she’s been doing so for the past half-hour, leaning on his support to make her forget about where they’re currently stuck in.

Trusting him to turn this nightmare they’re (or  _she_  mostly is) living into this sweet moment between the two of them.

She would have lost it already if it weren’t for him and his soothing presence by her side.

His hold on her is firm yet tender with his arms clasped around her body and his scent his overwhelming her and Amy can’t help but think she’s making a huge mistake right now.

She shouldn’t let him go away again.

She shifts inside his embrace to snuggle even closer to him and Jake lets her do. She closes her eyes for an instant, taking a deep breath as she comfortably lets her head fall onto his warm chest. She can feel the loud thump of his heart against her ear. A small smile spreads across her face.

Yes, despite being in such a dark and cold room right now, she feels right,  _here_  – in Jake’s welcoming arms.

“You okay?” His voice is soft against her skin. He sounds a little worried as he hugs her tighter. “Are you cold?”

Of course she still is. She’s the type of person to carry a blanket around with her in  _July_  – she can only be freezing in the kitchen freezer of some fancy restaurant, then. Especially when she’s wearing nothing but just a thin long-sleeves blouse. But somehow, being locked up in here with  _him_ , with  _his_  arms wrapped around her, it’s not as unbearable as it should be.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she nods dreamily; reassuringly. It doesn’t seem to convince Jake, though, who draws away from her a little to have a better look at her. Amy can feel a rush of cold, mingled with a slight pang of frustration, run down her spine following this newfound distance between the two of them. 

“You sure about that? Your lips are turning blue.” He stares at them with this statement, his own lips only a few inches away from her reach and slightly parted as he’s highly focused on her well-being.

Behind the evident worry she can read in his (beautiful) brown eyes, Amy can also make out some hunger to taste them again – although she knows he would never dare to cross that line the way he did so earlier, now that they’re alone and  _themselves_  and don’t have the excuse of a cover to try and keep anymore.

Because he knows – he  _thinks_  – she doesn’t want him.

But, with the way her heartbeat is racing in her chest, there’s no denying she  _does_.

Plus it’s true she’s starting not to feel her lips anymore, and she knows for a fact now that his face is  _so warm_.

(Maybe less so now that they’ve been stuck in a freezer for so long – still, Amy can bet they’re still warmer than her own.)

For a second their eyes meet and as she gets lost in Jake’s gaze for a beat too long, Amy feels the urge to stop restraining herself the way she did for so long – to stop hiding behind dumb rules and finally take her leap of faith. She wants this. He does too. So why not give it a chance?!

Kissing him earlier didn’t feel weird or wrong. It was rather the opposite.

It felt like  _finally_  and like her heart was exploding in her chest with all emotions she’d try to lock far away all coming back to her mind at once.

(And it made her feel warm.  _Oh so_  warm. A feeling she could use, right now.)

She sees Jake frown as she silently leans towards him, well-determined to put an end to the small distance that remains between their two faces, until realization seems to flash into his eyes and a new glow comes shining inside his irises. They’re so close she can feel his heartbeat quicken in anticipation and, in her chest, her own does the exact same.

His breath is sharp and hot, slightly tickling her as they get closer and closer and  _always_  closer –  _almost_  as close as they found themselves back in the hallway earlier.

(It’s not a rushed impulse they’re taking here, though – and they’re not pretending to be other people either.

It is Amy, and it is Jake, slowly and finally deciding to act on their feelings.)

“We found them!” A voice suddenly startles Amy and forces her away from Jake before their lips can do so much as brushing. He backs off too, jumping in surprise. She blinks a few times when some new light enters the otherwise rather dark room. It’s only when her eyes eventually adjust to this new brightness that she recognizes who interrupted them: some officer working with them at the Nine-Nine.

Their squad has found them.

Despite the giant pang of relief that takes over her at the realization that they’ll finally be able to get out of here, she can’t retain the frustration of not being able to finish what they started, too.

“Santiago? Peralta? Are you alright? We’ve been looking for you everywhere.” The officer approaches them and Amy knows her moment with Jake has been lost.

* * *

 “You’re still cold?”

Jake’s teasing voice makes Amy look up from the magazine she’s been reading. She’s wrapped in several blankets as she’s patiently waiting for her results to come back.

Despite telling everyone they were  _fine_  and hadn’t been locked in the freezer for  _that_  long, their Captain still insisted they should go to the hospital to get checked, just in case. And even though the feeling of warmth that’s overcoming her right now is good indeed, Amy would rather be at home in her own bed after the night she had.

A smile comes curving up the corners of her mouth when her eyes meet with her partner’s. A new wave of warmth takes over her whole body as she’s finding herself alone with Jake for the first time since they almost kissed earlier. He might be grinning at the sight she offers, but she can still make out some concern as well in the way she looks at her – studying her carefully.

The question is a joke, but also genuine.

He approaches her and she shifts on her bed as an invitation for him to come and take a seat by her side. He doesn’t wait for more to do so.

“I’m feeling better.” She shoots him a small reassuring smile, one he’s quick to reciprocate on his own features.

A short moment of silence falls upon them before Amy talks again. “Thank you, by the way. For preventing me from losing it, back there.”

“Of course. I’m always happy to help.” His smile turns fonder with the words. The atmosphere between them is full of tension when none of them talks for another beat.

Amy tries to think of ways to bring up what happened between them – let him know it wasn’t some ‘on the spur’ moment and she would  _love_  it if they were to pick things up right where they stopped. 

“So… that was a crazy night, uh?” In the end, it’s all she manages to say. But it seems to be enough. Indeed, she catches how Jake’s gaze on her suddenly grows darker before it switches to her lips for a second. Then, without a warning, his mouth finds its way towards hers. This time, there’s no-one to interrupt them.

This time, it’s definitely not playing pretend either.

Amy lets herself melt into his embrace. His hands are at her waist, keeping her close while hers find their way up to his neck. His touch his electrifying. It’s nothing like their first kiss – they don’t have to hold back their feelings, this time. They can be true to themselves and damn, does it feel good for Amy to finally be able to acknowledge, through her gestures, that  _yes, she likes Jake Peralta a lot_.

Romantic-stylez.

(And he  _really_  likes her too, he will tell her later when they talk about the kiss and decide to give this “thing” they have a chance.)


	24. You Say We're Just Friends (But Friends Don't Know the Way You Taste)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x13 Canon divergence, in which Jake and Amy start a “friends with benefits” kind of relationship after their “date” in The Bet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just call this a draft before the real, longer fic happens lol. Because yeah, I *do* intend to expand on this concept. This is all based on [this trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyKcyYxs1FU) I made.
> 
> All props @kamelea for the cuddle scene (which will be a lot more detailed in the actual fic hopefully haha)!

At first, it _really_ is all about the sex.

Sometime between dinner and Jake's serenade on Times Square at midnight on their ‘date’ night, he and Amy find their way back to his apartment.

They’re both lying in his bed, still panting from the _stupid good_ sex they just had, Amy’s hideous dress discarded on the floor right next to Jake’s cheap pair of shorts, when they make a pact. Spicing up their friendship with some added benefits won’t hurt, they think. They’re two single, very attractive adults who happen to be _really_ good at it, so why not take advantage of it?

Plus they have a well-thought set of rules to go by so that this newfound relationship of theirs doesn’t implode – courtesy of Amy, of course. It’s the perfect deal, they think; and it’s all that they need, right now.

Which it _truly_ is, at first – nothing changes much between them, except for the casual encounters at one or the other’s place after a long shift or a night filled with too many drinks at _Shaw’s_.

(4-drink Amy is _horny_ , Jake gets to learn.)

It feels good, not to have to think about _feelings_ and terrible dates with no-dessert dentists or Gemini-haters and simply relish in each other’s warm bodies. It’s fun, too, this relationship; they’re still friends, after all.

Things start to shift one night, when Amy’s had a very stressful day at work while Jake was off-duty, and she shows up at his door. He can tell there’s something wrong with her but, instead of talking it out, she goes straight for him, locking lips together in an angry kiss and already pushing him towards the bed without a word nor explanation. Jake doesn’t mind the roughness of their exchange – actually, he even likes it _a lot_ but he doesn’t like _where_ it comes from. She doesn’t seem more relaxed when later, she lies in his bed, looking up at the ceiling without a word. So he asks her what’s wrong.

They’re still friends, after all. He’d be a bad one if he didn’t show some support. Amy sighs but tells him everything. And when she’s done, he does the first thing he can think of doing: he hugs her close. Despite all the sex they had, it feels like a new line has been crossed, a new intimacy has been found. They cuddle for a while in silence, Amy’s body slowly relaxing in his soft embrace.

She doesn’t make it home that night.

And thus they break one of their rules. _Something has changed._

It’s not that they’re in love, really. Nor that they would like to take this relationship to the next level – aka. dating _for realz_. They just find themselves wrapped in a new sort of intimacy they both enjoy and don’t question (friends can hug and sleep in the same bed, right?). It’s even useful at work, they realize – faking couples to bring a perp done is easier when you know your partner the way they do. They _have sex_ and see each other naked on a regular basis, now – they won’t shy away from an innocent kiss, then.

This becomes their new normal, and they make a lot of arrests this way.

It’s all good, then, until their relationship _does_ implode, no matter the rules. Jake breaks another one, realizing it all too late. He fell in love indeed.

And Amy too – but not with him.

Well, it’s not really _love_ , on her part. It’s just a guy she used to date and meets again. It starts with them going out once, and then going out twice.

“Your place, tonight? Same time as always?” Jake offers with a malicious grin, but all he receives in return is a shy, apologetic smile.

“Actually, Jake… I have plans tonight.”

It’s just four words. One small sentence. It’s the beginning of the end.

“We need to talk.”

His name is Teddy – rather good-looking, dorky like her, who sets a new record at Tactical Village. (One that Jake outdoes minutes later.) _I really like him_ , she says and Jake’s heart breaks because damn, he really likes _her_.

In a way they promised each other they wouldn’t. _Shouldn’t._

Romantic-stylez.

She puts an end to their little arrangement that night, with the excuse of being ready to start a real relationship, now. _It was fun,_ she tells him.

He can be more than fun, Jake wants to snap back. He can offer her a real relationship, too. But she likes Teddy. Not _him_.

It’s probably better this way.

This story doesn’t last long, weirdly – _he was boring_ , apparently. (He wasn’t _him_ , Jake will learn later.) Still, even when both single again, Jake and Amy remain just friends. _Simple_ friends, this time – without the benefits.

It goes on for a while, with Jake trying to get over Amy, because it’s clear she doesn’t want more than his friendship (or so he thinks). Actually, he can tell she wouldn’t mind them going back to what they were before she broke things off, especially after a few drinks ( _four_ , to be exact), but Jake can’t bring himself to doing it. Until he has to leave for six months for an undercover mission, and he finds himself knocking at her door. He needs to tell her how he feels – _if something bad goes down…_ But he remains speechless in front of the sight she offers, the stress easily readable on her tear-stained face.

She worries about him.

Somehow, instead of talking, they end up having sex that night. It’s easier than words. A quiet goodbye – almost a farewell.

But it’s not enough. Not anymore. So Jake pours his heart out right there, in the intimacy of her room, in the intimacy of her arms.

(She agreed on letting him be the small spoon, given the circumstances.)

“I kinda wish something could happen, between us. Romantic-stylez.”

And then he has to leave – to a new life, with someone new to share his nights. He’s just as much a distraction for her than she is a cover for him – he knows about her two other ‘boyfriends’ and can’t even begin to care.

In all the possible ways, she’s different than Amy. Which makes him miss her even more, with her light touches and soft smiles and hearted laugh.

Valerie barely ever laughs at his jokes.

He’s deeply in love with a woman he doesn’t see for months, not even knowing if she feels the same, because he had to go before leaving her the chance to react to the bomb he dropped on her. But then, he comes back.

And when he does, Amy’s here, waiting at his door with a bag of his favorite takeout and a shy smile on her face. “Terry said your mission was a success.” Her words are barely above a whisper. She never leaves his eyes and he can’t keep his away from hers either as he releases a sigh.

He’s _really_ home.


	25. I've Searched the World and I now Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-2x23 Canon divergence, in which Jake and Amy go through Jake’s Tinder account… and find a very familiar face there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea came to my mind a few months ago when a friend kept telling me a similar story that happened to her and a friend of ours. I never wrote it, until my brain made me dream about it the other night lol.
> 
> It’s also inspired by @startofamoment’s amazing story where [Jake and Amy match on Tinder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10644960)! Plus as always, thank you @kamelea for still not being bored of me venting to her about my fic ideas hahaha :’)
> 
> (I never used the app, but I did make some research so I hope it’ll be enough to make this plausible.)

“Hey.”

Seeing as he’s sitting alone at a booth and playing with his phone, Amy decides to go sit next to Jake as soon as she gets her order to keep him company. He immediately looks away from the screen, shooting her a bright smile when their eyes meet.

“Hi,” he answers in a soft voice and her own beam instinctively grows bigger.

A beat passes in silence, during which none of them seems to be willing to turn away from the other’s gaze.

“What, uh,” Amy clears her throat when she realizes she’s been staring. “What are you doing?” She nods in the direction of Jake’s device.

He doesn’t need to say anything for her to recognize the app that’s open on his phone when her eyes land on it following her words, though. There’s a picture of a woman showing there and, since she downloaded it herself not so long ago, she knows what he’s doing is going through his Tinder account.

Even if she’s well aware that she has no right to feel like it, Amy can’t retain her heart from tightening in her chest at the sight.

“Gina is taking forever to bring back our drinks, so…” Jake’s voice makes her look up at him.

He’s watching her with a shy smile painted across his face, like she caught him doing something embarrassing.

It makes it hard for Amy to hold his gaze or keep all the thoughts she’s been trying to lock far away for some time now from coming back to her mind at full force. She obliges herself to remember and focus on the conversation they had a couple of weeks ago instead.

_I don’t want everything to change._

_Yeah, me neither._

“Well, this one looks cute,” she says then.

Despite her better instincts, she tries to act as a supportive friend – tries to keep the slight pang of jealousy that’s hurting her right now at bay. She has no right to be jealous. No right to come in-between Jake and his love life. _She_ is the one who rejected _him_ , even though he ended up agreeing that she was right.

His gaze goes from her to the picture. Amy catches how his mouth curves up into a small smile as he looks at it for a moment.

“Yeah, she does.”

And yet he swipes left.

It starts with this one picture only to quickly turn into them amusedly going through Jake’s Tinder together – swiping right or left on every person that shows up on his screen. Amy would lie if she’d say her heart doesn’t skip a beat every time he receives an _‘It’s a Match!’_ notification with someone else. She represses it deep inside though and concentrates on having fun with her _friend_.

She’s the one who prayed for things to go back to normal between them, after all. And this is definitely what their ‘normal’ looked like, _before_.

Before feelings and kissing during an undercover mission got in the way of their friendship. Their moments together were always full of laughter and teasing each other.

( _How did you know [s]he was the one?_

 _He makes me laugh._ )

“Amy Santiago! You didn’t tell me you’re on Tinder too?!”

Jake’s voice, accompanied by a loud gasp as it rises through the other patrons’ conversations suddenly takes her out of her reverie. After swiping left on yet another person (she wouldn’t have imagined him being so picky, yet he actually swiped right on a few people only – most of the time after _she_ made some comment about it), Amy sees her own picture appear on his screen.

Her ears instantly burn in the beginning of a blush when she brings her eyes on Jake, who’s now staring at her with a playful grin on his face. She can already sense his teasing words coming her way.

“I was bored.” She doesn’t bother explaining herself as she leans in his direction to swipe left on her profile before he has the chance to make fun of her. Jake is quick to take his phone away, though.

Amy lets out a frustrated grunt.

“C’mon, Santiago, give yourself some credit,” he says, his eyes staring deep into hers and still smiling broadly. It manages to bring a smile on her own features too, if only for a second before he talks again. “I won’t swipe left on you. Not after everything we’ve bee through!”

He means it as a joke – she knows that. It doesn’t prevent her from freaking out, especially when she sees his thumb hovering over her picture, ready to put his words into action.

Memories of a previous night where she was herself desperately going through her own Tinder account rush back to her mind, and she simply _can’t_ let him do this.

He can’t _know_ – know that she spent half-an-hour lying in the dark of her room when she came home from a long stakeout with him, looking at his picture with a pang in her heart and letting out a small chuckle at his short bio. Know that if all the voices in her head told her to _swipe left and move on_ , she didn’t listen to them as she remembered a funny joke he told her earlier to pass the time.

 _He’ll never know, anyway,_ she thought back then. _He won’t swipe right on me._

Her heart is literally pounding in her chest; her blush has now spread down to her cheeks and neck when she urges him, “No please, don’t!” But it’s too late.

Jake is already swiping right and it’s with wild horror coursing through her veins that Amy watches as the now very familiar _‘It’s a Match!’_ notification appears on his screen. Her whole body stiffens at the sight.

A heavy silence falls upon them after that – a huge contrast to the buzzing sound of people talking all around them.

She shoots Jake a few glances, gauging his reaction but he keeps his eyes fixed on their two pictures showing on his device. She wants to say something but she wouldn’t know where to start.

After a moment that feels like forever to Amy, he eventually brings his gaze on her. His eyes pierce right through her core, beautiful and intense and filled with something she can’t quite decipher, and she feels like she’s gonna suffocate if he doesn’t stop staring at her like this very soon.

So she looks away, eyes narrowing down on her half-empty drink.

_What did she bring herself into?!_

“Why?” is the only word that leaves Jake’s mouth as he finally talks again. His tone isn’t playful anymore – rather very serious now.

He’s still watching her carefully when she dares to put her attention back on him. _What does this all means?_ She can read the confusion in his eyes.

Amy isn’t so sure what to say. She could lie to him like she did to herself, but hasn’t she done that enough already? Because the truth is, she’s been having second thoughts, lately.

Well, she’s been having them ever since she didn’t retain him after they made it clear what they both wanted were for things to remain the way they were between them. That they wanted to stay friends and nothing more.

The thing is, she _does_ want more. She wants to know what it’s like, to be in a relationship with Jake Peralta.

She _likes_ him – she surely does. But she’s been cowardly hiding behind dumb rules and didn’t tell him, when he said that _he_ liked _her_.

Amy tried, for the past two weeks, to convince herself this was all for the best. That their (her) decision was the right one to take. That they _did_ work better as friends and colleagues indeed.

Yet two weeks have passed and she still can’t help but think about where they would be, right now, would have she followed her feelings and not her rules.

_I don’t date cops._

“Well, you know my love for turtlenecks. I _had_ to swipe right on that,” she jokes in reference to his own profile picture. She wishes it’ll help to soothe the atmosphere a little between them – that it’ll help her _relax_. But, even if Jake does shoot her a smile at that, he doesn’t buy her excuse. He keeps looking at her with his puppy-eyes praying her to tell him what’s _really_ happening here.

So she does. She owes it to him.

(She owes it to herself, to stop letting her anxious brain prevent her from being honest with how she feels.)

“More seriously, I just–…” She stares back at him, deep into his brown eyes. “I think I _do_ want things to change.”

“What does this mean?” Jake only frowns.

He really isn’t making things easy. Amy lets out a sigh.

“I know I told you the opposite only like, two weeks ago but the truth is… I _do_ wish something could happen between us. Although I’d understand if it’s too late and I missed my chance.”

( _Again_ , she almost adds but stops herself at the last second.)

In front of her, Jake’s face seems to light up with each new word she lets out – his mouth is curved up in a huge grin and she’s pretty sure his eyes are shining too.

If the way he looked at her was too much for her to handle before, it now helps her calm down, as she takes his reaction as a good sign.

(She surely _hopes_ it’s a good sign.)

“It’s not too late at all.” He drops his phone on the table and, before Amy can process what he’s doing, he uses his now free hands to frame her face and tenderly puts his lips on hers. The sudden gesture startles her at first, but she’s quick to answer his kiss. Her heart is pounding in her chest, but it’s not out of anxiety that Jake discovered her ‘secret’ this time.

It’s out of pure joy – to finally be able to know the taste of his lips again, and _for realz_ this time. Not while they are hiding behind some fake engaged couple.

When they part, both of them let out a small satisfied sigh through their smiley mouths as they keep their eyes closed and foreheads resting against one another – as if to say _finally_.


	26. There's Nothing I Would Change (We're Better than Alright)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy go to a Santiago cousin wedding a few months after their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on a prompt by the amazing @amazingsantiago: “jake and amy at a santiago cousin wedding a few months after theirs!! like, they would be so clingy + constantly making gooey eyes at each other. amy’s brothers complain the entire time. tbh they get kinda jealous when the bride + groom cut the cake + have their first dance + stuff because they didn’t really get that. jake can tell she’s getting upset + reassures her that their wedding was perfect + it’s the marriage that’s important, not the wedding.”
> 
> Also, thank you @drowninginmyworries and @amydancepantsperalta for your help with this <3

With a family as big as the Santiagos, it can’t be too much of a surprise that sometimes, two members of the same extended family would get the same idea of getting married the same year. And really, it shouldn’t be considered an issue either – on the contrary, one could take this as the  _double_  opportunity to see their relatives and get to party with them twice in the same twelve months.

All in all, it could almost be considered a blessing. It isn’t really the case anymore when one of those said weddings happens to  _not_  happen the way it was supposed to, though. When some bomb-related threat forces the groom’s best friend (and man) to throw an impromptu wedding back at their precinct so that the night is saved and the couple can still tie the knot – with their friends and colleagues as the only witnesses.

If Jake and Amy both agree to say their wedding was the most magical moment of their lives, and if they still managed to celebrate their union with both their (closest) families afterwards, now that they find themselves attending one of Amy’s cousin’s wedding only four months after their own and they’re watching the happy newlyweds do everything  _they_  couldn’t do when it was their time to shine, they can’t help but feel a little sad and envious.

Everything went smoothly, at first. Still riding their ‘post-honeymoon’ bliss, they didn’t leave each other’s side once in the whole day – smiling knowingly at each other with shining eyes and intertwined fingers during the ceremony or holding each other close with Jake’s arm wrapped around Amy’s waist while the photographer took pictures outside the venue.

“You look beautiful,” she said after fixing his bowtie when the professional offered to take a portrait of just the two of them, palms flat on his chest with her gaze lost deep in his. Her words made his grin grow brighter and he pulled her closer to steal a quick kiss from her lipstick-painted lips.

“Not as beautiful as you,” he replied, butterflies flying in his heart at the thought that this wonderful woman standing in front of him was his  _wife_.

Four months later, he still wondered sometimes if this was all just a (wonderful) dream.

“Ugh, you two have become so  _gross_  since you got married.” Tony and Daniel passed by them at that exact moment, both of them pouting in false-disgust at their words of love.

Jake let out an amused laugh, while in his arms, Amy rolled her eyes at her brothers.

“Shut up and move!” She shoved them off before quickly bringing her attention back on her husband – and, while they exchanged another loving look that the photographer perfectly captured, he thought maybe her siblings were right. Marriage  _did_  make him ( _them_ ) grossly corny.

If they felt nothing but pure blissfulness for most of the day, now that they’re sitting (close) together as they watch the newlyweds cut their huge cake, it’s hard not to let some jealousy take over the rest. Jake can feel Amy’s body tense a little next to his while her eyes remain glued on the cake when he shoots a small glance in her direction.

He knows they’ve got the same thing in mind – while it looks delicious, he can’t help but think it doesn’t look as great as the Nakatomi Plaza cake his wife surprised him with almost a year ago now. That same cake they didn’t get the chance to cut (nor even taste, for that matter) in the end thanks to some vengeful criminal and Cheddar the dog.

What a shame and waste.

He quickly chases the thought away, though, putting a hand on Amy’s thigh and gently squeezing there. It makes her turn her gaze towards him. She shoots him a shy smile; almost a little sad.

“You alright?” he whispers to her ear so that only she can hear him. He doesn’t need her to talk for Jake to read the disappointment shining inside her beautiful eyes too.

“Yeah.” She nods sincerely. “I am.” Her smile switches up into something bigger and fonder before Amy lets her head rest against his shoulder with a small sigh.

Her left hand comes finding his own on her lap as she enlaces their fingers together. Jake can feel the cold touch of both her wedding and engagement rings press against his otherwise warm knuckles.

It’s all it takes for the ugly emotions to wash off his body – as he holds his wife close to him, he gets the reminder that it’s not the wedding and all the traditional things that happen during that day that count, but the marriage itself. And, even if it’s only been four months since they themselves tied the knot, he can tell his and Amy’s is already off to an amazing start.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

They stay like this for a while, wrapped up in each other even as they eat the (delicious indeed) cake until some soft music starts filling the room and the newlyweds hit the dancefloor for their first dance. Amy stiffens again and Jake’s heart misses a beat as his eyes fall on the happy couple. They swirl in perfect harmony together to the rhythm of the love song the DJ plays with all pairs of eyes on them.

All conversations stop; everyone watches them in religious silence.

Jake knows he said in his vows that he was afraid of dancing in front of his and Amy’s friends, and they  _did_  get some kind of a first dance too back in the intimacy of their apartment, but as he looks at the pair and how, in that instant, they seem oblivious to the other people inside the huge venue as their eyes are solely focused on their significant other, he can’t help but think  _this is so romantic_.

He wishes they’d gotten to do that as well; that they’d gotten to feel like they were alone in a room filled with all of their guests before they joined them in celebrating their union.

He wishes they could have put the many lessons they took during the months prior to their own wedding into practice – even if his wife still wasn’t (isn’t) the best dancer ever.

Most of all, he wishes he’d gotten his long-overdue slow dance to the song they picked – this one song which, once upon a time, reminded him of heartbreak and being dumped at his bar-mitzvah and eventually turned, in the span of just one night, thanks to just a few words, into a feeling of hopefulness and  _weird romantic moment_  with the one person bound to become the love of his life.

_I know it’s not Jenny Gildenhorn but if you wanted to slow dance tonight, I know somebody who’d be into that._

_Okay._

Jake has to hand it to Amy, though – it was a great prank.

“Are you going to dance or can I borrow my daughter for a minute?” Victor’s voice suddenly takes him out of his reverie. That’s when Jake realizes that another soft song is now playing and that several couples joined the newlyweds on the dancefloor. Victor has his hand stretched in front of Amy and a smile shining on his face.

One knowing look between the couple is enough for Amy to leave Jake’s arms and follow her father instead, who’s quick to lead her into a dance with him. A small beam forms on Jake’s face as he watches the two – he knows how bummed she was about not being able to share this moment with Victor, of all the things they didn’t get to do on their wedding day.

He’s happy for his wife that she finally gets to do it, then, even if it’s during someone else’s wedding. It doesn’t seem to matter to her, right now – he can tell from the way her face glows, or from the happy bursts of laughter that escape her mouth and fill the air while her father makes her turn with grace and glee.

It gives him an idea.

He doesn’t put it into execution right away – waits until the night has worn out a little and some of the guests have left the venue to do so. The DJ is playing slow music again and most of the remaining people are part of the Santiago family; the timing is perfect, Jake thinks. He won’t steal the newlyweds’ thunder.

After she came back from her dance with her father, Amy seemed more cheerful – back to her previous state of clingy towards him and wanting to enjoy this fine family evening without making comparisons or thinking about what their own wedding would have looked like if the bomb threat never existed and they got the celebration they spent months working on.

Still, as they danced with her brothers and cousins to more upbeat songs or shared sweet moments just the two of them inside and outside the venue, Jake could tell there were times when she let her mind wander elsewhere, towards something that should have happened but unfortunately did not.

“Where are you going?” she asks when he stands up to fulfil his plan, and he only shoots a smile in her direction.

“I’ll be right back,” he promises, planting a soft kiss on her brows-knitted forehead before sneakily heading to where the bride is currently standing.

“Hey, can you do me a favor?”

Amy’s cousin looks at him with a curious frown.

* * *

Jake is back by Amy’s side in no time after his (successful) little conversation with her cousin. She tries to ask him what he told the other Santiago woman but he remains mysterious until a new song whose melody he knows by heart now resounds inside the whole venue. He recognizes it from the first notes and a grin forms on his face as he exchanges a quick nod with his accomplice.

Then, he brings his full and prompt attention toward his wife, still fully smiling.

“Listen, they’re playing our song!” He tries to sound innocent.

Just like her father did a few hours before, he stretches a hand in her direction, already up and standing in front of her.

“Did  _you_  ask for this?” she asks suspiciously. She doesn’t move just yet; only watches him straight in the eye.

Jake’s beam softens despite the amusement he’s feeling inside. “I know it’s not exactly how we planned it to happen, but you still owe me that slow dance, remember? And well… at least, your whole family’s here.” He shoots Amy a knowing look. That’s when a loving smile forms on her own features as well and she finally intertwines her fingers with his.

She doesn’t leave his sight once while he leads her towards the dancefloor and securely wraps his arms around her waist. Her gaze is piercing right through his core as she circles his neck with her own; it’s full of love and awe and it makes Jake’s heart completely melt in his chest. They waste no time and start to move to the sound of this song so significant to them – to  _him_  – in utter silence at first.

The feeling that takes over him as he gets to share his slow dance with Amy is nothing but soothing and overwhelming. For just a second, he lets his eyes wander away from his wife’s face to shoot a glance at the people around them. They’re all looking at them, leaving the dancefloor only for them to use, as if it were  _their_  first dance at  _their_  wedding none of them actually attended.

Even Amy’s brothers, who spent most of the day mocking them and complaining about their apparent clinginess and cheesiness are now smiling; holding their own significant others close to their sides for those of them who are in a relationship. He catches Victor wipe a tear away from his cheek and his heart misses a beat at the sight.

His smile is as bright as the lights shining upon them when Jake quickly brings his attention back onto Amy – his amazing  _wife_  of four months already. She seems just as happy as he is; just as lost in their moment as he previously wished they could be when he watched the actual couple of the day slow dance together.

He loves her  _so much_ , he muses while his heart fills with complete adoration.

“Thank you for putting this together.” Her voice is low when she eventually breaks the silence between them, barely audible through the loud music.

Jake holds her tighter; shoots her an even bigger grin. “Thank  _you_  for wanting to slow dance with me,” he says.

_For marrying_   _me,_  he means.  _For wanting to spend the rest of our lives together._

“Always.” She smiles. A rush of electricity runs down his spine as he feels her playing with the small hair at the base of his neck, holding onto him while they move around in a shared rhythm.

Jake allows to lose himself into her beautiful gaze for a beat – this gaze he’s so lucky to meet every morning as he opens his eyes, and will so for the rest of his life – before he talks again. “I know we already talked about it, but y’know, even after tonight and seeing your cousin get the wedding we wanted, I still think ours was perfect the way it happened…”

Amy slightly tilts her head to the side, an invitation for him to further explain himself.

So he does. “I proposed to you in the evidence room because that’s where we shared our first real kiss. We had a history there.” He smiles while his mind fills with memories of these two perfect moments. He’s still holding her close and leading her around in slow movements while the song keeps playing. “And… we were right outside the precinct when I first told you how I felt about you – how I wished something would happen between us, y’know,  _romantic stylez_. So it kinda makes sense we got married there too. Like… it all came full circle.” His smile turns into a true beam now.

He thought about it a lot, in the past few months – about how symbolistic their wedding turned out to be without them even meaning to; despite the disaster it first seemed to be. That night he opened his heart to her before going undercover seems so far away in his mind now, though; hidden behind a million little  _romantic_  moments shared with the love of his life instead – with this woman he used to have a hopeless crush on and is now  _happily married_  to.

Jake sees Amy’s whole face soften at his words before she suddenly stops in their slow dance. A small chuckle escapes her mouth. She remains still with her hands going from the back of his neck to his chest while she starts playing absentmindedly with his bowtie. Her eyes are on his, looking deep into his soul with a playful smile still curving up the corners of her lips.

“What?” He’s a little confused.

“My brothers are right. We  _are_  so corny.” She laughs again and this time, he laughs along with her.

It’s true they are – but he couldn’t care less. Because Amy is his wife, and he’s her husband, and no matter what happened that day, they  _did_  have a wonderful wedding – and they’re for sure bound to have an even better marriage in all the years to come. There’s really nothing he would change, Jake thinks as he brings her even closer and shushes her laughter with a tender kiss.

“For what it’s worth,” she whispers when they part, head resting against his and face glowing in blissfulness as he looks at her. “I  _do_  think our wedding was perfect the way it was too. I mean, without the bomb, I would have never been able to make this  _amazing_  joke about your butt.” She grins at him knowingly and he lets out a loud, exaggerated gasp.

“Hey, that was  _my_  joke! You just stole it!” But Amy’s quick to muffle his complaint away when her lips find his again.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always really appreciated!! You can also come and find me on Tumblr @b99peraltiago if you want :)


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